COMPLETE NOTES (2024 -25) ENGLISH

POEM-1 (CLASS-XII)
FLAMINGO

MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX

1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last Friday……………..
that she thought away.

Explanation: The poet saw her mother driving from her parent’s home to Cochin that Friday. She sat beside her. Her
mother dozed open mouthed. Her face was ashen like that of a corpse. The poet, perhaps, sensed one feeling that she
would soon die. She hurriedly put that thought away.
a) When did the poet see her mother?
Ans. She saw her mother when she drove to Cochin from parent’s house.
b) How did the poet’s mother look then? Why?
Ans. She looked quite old with face ashen like that of a corpse.
c) What was her ‘thought’ which she put away soon?
Ans. Her ‘thought’ was that she would soon die.
2. ………but soon
put that thought away, and looked out at young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes.
Explanation: …….and the poet looked away with that thought. But very soon she put away that sad thought. She then
looked at the young trees racing behind. She also saw at the children spreading out of their homes merrily.

Question.1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile ………
(a) What was the poet’s childhood fear?
(b) What was the poet’s parting words?
(c) What is the poetic device used in these lines?
(d) Why did the poet smile and smile?
Answer. (a) In her childhood, the poet was insecure about losing her mother, just as all young children often are.
(b) The poet’s parting words were, “See you soon, Amma”, which are suggestive of the hope that they will meet again.
(c) The poetic device used in these lines is simile, where the mother’s dull and lifeless face is compared to a late winter’s
moon.
(d) The poet smiled and smiled (meaning that she smiled continuously) because she was trying to hide her real feelings. She
feared the fact that she might not see her mother again, which left her almost in tears.

Question.2. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
……….but soon
put that thought away and
looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes……………

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(a) What thought did the poet drive away from her mind?
(b) What did she see when she looked out of the car?
(c) How do you know that the joyful scene didn’t help her drive away the painful thought from her mind?
(d) What are the merry children symbolic of?
or
(a) Which thought did the poet put away?
(b) What do the ‘sprinting trees’ signify?
(c) What are “the merry children spilling out of their homes”, symbolic of?
(d) Why does the poet make use of the images of ‘young trees sprinting’ and ‘merry children spilling’?
or
(a) Who looked out at the young trees?
(b) Which thought did she put away?
(c) What do young sprinting trees signify?
(d) Why are the trees described as sprinting?

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

Question.3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Driving from my parent’s
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother, beside me
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that ‘
of a corpse and realised with pain .
that she was as old as she looked …
(a) Where was the poet driving to?
(b) Why was her mother’s face looking like that of a corpse?
(c) What did the poet notice about her mother?
(d) Why was the realisation painful?

Answer. (a) The poet was driving to Cochin airport from her parent’s home.
(b) Her mother’s face had lost all its glow and colour. It was nearly lifeless. That is why it was looking like a corpse’s face.
(c) The poet noticed that her mother was sleeping with her mouth open. Her face looked like that of a corpse. She suddenly
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realised that her mother had become very old.
(d) The realisation that her mother had grown very old was painful because it brought with it the distressing thought that she
was also nearing her death, whose cruel hands would separate the poet from her mother.

Question.4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
…….and
looked but soon
put that thought away and
looked out at young
trees sprinting,
the merry children spilling
out of their homes,………..
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) What did the poet realise? How did she feel?
(c) What did she do then?
(d) What did she notice in the world outside?

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

Question.5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
…………….and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile
(a) What was the childhood fear that now troubled the poet?
(b) What do the poet’s parting words suggest?
(c) Why did the poet smile and smile?
(d) Explain, “that old familiar ache.”

Answer. (a) As a child the poet was insecure about losing her mother and the same fear has come again now when her mother
has grown old.
(b) The poet, while parting, smiled and said to her mother that she would see her soon. This expression of her suggests that
though she was aware that her mother was quite old and weak, yet she could not do anything about it. She could not even
communicate her true feelings to her mother.
(c) The poet smiled and smiled only because she wanted to hide her fears from her mother. She was reassuring herself and also
her mother that they would meet again.
(d) “That old familiar ache” refers to the agony and pain of separation from her mother that the poet felt in her childhood, as
she feared that she might lose her mother.

My Mother at Sixty Six – Kamala Das (Complete Explanation)

My Mother at Sixty Six by Kamala Das is a moving poem. In this she laments her mother’s ageing and feels extremely sad at
the time of her separation from her ageing mother at the airport. In the car, she notices that her mother had grown terribly old
and that the two would not probably meet again. She compares her mother with a late winter’s moon. She pretends to be happy
to make her mother happy and departs with a heavy heart.

In this poem, Kamala Das presents a daughter’s anguish (pain) as she is leaving her ageing mother behind her for a while. She
is going to board a flight and is not sure about her timely return in case something happened to her mother!
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 The poet was going to the Cochin International Airport. She was probably in a taxi. It is certain that she was going to a distant
place for a long stay there. She was accompanied by her aged mother. The mother was very old, older than her age. During the
journey the mother slipped into a doze. Her mouth remained open like that of a dead body. Moreover, her face had lost the
color of life. Her face was colourless, ashen.

Possible Figures of speech / Poetic Devices

1. Simile – “Like a late winter’s moon”

2. Personification – “Sprinting trees”
3. Repetition – “Smile and smile and smile.”
4. Juxtaposition – Life outside the car and death inside the car.
5. Alliteration – “She was as…”
Stanza 1

Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin,

last Friday morning, I saw my mother beside me
Doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse.
Meaning
• Parent’s – Here, mother’s
• Cochin – A town in Kerala (Kochi)
• Beside – With
• Doze – Sleep
• Ashen – Grey (Old age)
• Corpse – Dead body
Questions and Answers
1. Where was the poet going? Who was with her?
The poet was going to Cochin Airport. With her was her aged mother.
2. How did the mother look like? Why did the poet feel sad seeing the mother’s appearance?
The mother was sleeping inside the car with her mouth open. Her face was colourless like that of a dead body. Seeing this
appearance of her mother, the poet was suddenly filled with a fear of separation and loss.
3. Why does the poet relate the mother’s appearance to that of a corpse?
The poet’s mother was aged. At sixty-six it was hard to tell how long she would live. Moreover, inside the car she was
sleeping, her mouth held open and her skin so colourless like that of a dead body.
Stanza 2

And realized with pain that she was as old as

She looked but soon put that thought away
And looked at young trees sprinting,
The merry children spilling out of their homes.
Meaning
• Looked – Appeared
• That thought – The thought that mother was aged
• Put that thought away – Diverted her mind
• Sprinting – Running (The illusion of movement)
• Merry – Happy
• Spilling – Run out
Notes
While the poet was deeply thinking about this separation, she happened to look at the mother. The poet was amazed to see that
her mother had really grown old. Now she had to accept that her mother was really old. Her mind so heavy with this thought,
the poet looked out and tried to brush away her sadness. But what she saw outside didn’t cheer her up. On the contrary she
grew sadder looking out. What she saw there sharply contrasted with what she had with her. The young trees were running
cheerfully. Young children were in their jolly mood, playing fun and frolic. Everything looked cheerful and lively outside
while the mother remained almost lifeless and the poet sad.
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 Questions and Answers
1. What did the poet realize with pain?
The poet realized with pain that her mother had grown terribly old, a thought that she never had in her mind before.
2. Why was the realization painful?
The realization, that the mother was approaching death, was painful to the poet. The poet was supposed to stay away from her
mother for a long duration, far away. They might not even meet again.
3. Why did the poet put that thought away?
The poet was thinking about a long separation from her aged mother. She even feared that the mother and daughter would not
meet again. Suddenly she noticed that her mother had been reading her mind. In an attempt to disguise her line of thoughts, the
poet looked out of the car and pretended to be cheerful.
4. What did the poet see outside of the car?
The poet saw cheerful life outside the car. There were young trees running back in a lively mood and children playing around
their houses.
5. How does the poet strike a contrast between what travelled with her and what moved outside?
The mother was sleeping inside the car with her mouth open. She was similar to a dead body. She was cheerless and
approaching death. But outside the car was life in its freshness and vivacity. There were young trees running cheerfully. There
were children playing and running merrily. This was a life-death contrast.
Stanza 3

But after the airport’s security check,

Standing a few yards away I looked again at her,
Wan, pale, as a late winter’s moon…
Meaning
• Wan – Pale; pallid
• Late winter’s moon – Dim moon shrouded by clouds

Notes
The security check-in was completed. The daughter was left with a few seconds to see her aged mother. She turned back at the
mother who stood a few feet away.
The poet now looks at the mother’s aged face. The two words, wan and pale, well describe the mother’s appearance. The late
winter’s moon is dim. It is always under the threat of dark clouds of fog and mist. Any moment the moon in the late winter can
be hidden by these clouds. Similarly, the poet’s mother is approached by death. Any time she could be swept away by death.

Questions and Answers

1. How did the mother look like at the airport?
The mother appeared to be lifeless and colourless, like a late winter’s moon that was dim and supposed to be hidden by the
fog.
2. How do ‘wan’ and ‘pale’ describe the mother?
The mother was aged and weak beyond her age. She appeared wan and pale. Wan and pale suggest weakness and lifelessness.
3. What is a late winter’s moon?
In the late winter, the sky is filled with fog and mist. The moon at that season cannot shine brightly. It appears to be dim and
most of the time rests behind these clouds. No one can predict how long the moon could stay and what time the clouds would
hide it.
4. Why does the poet compare her mother to a late winter’s moon?
The mother was quite aged. She was cheerless and gloomy. Like the late winter’s moon that could any moment be
overshadowed by the fog, the mother remained a victim to imminent death.
Stanza 4

And felt that old familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

But all I said was, “See you soon, Amma”
All I did was smile and smile and smile.

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 In the childhood, the poet had to separate from her mother innumerable times. It was quite painful for the poet to separate from
her mother those days. She used to fear these occasions as she thought they would never meet again.

The poet is attempting to ease the situation by a long smile that meant consolation to her mother. She smiled with the
expectation that her mother would translate it that the daughter was not worried about anything and therefore there was no
need to worry about their union. They will definitely meet.

The poet was overcome by the intense pain of separation. She could not speak many words at this time. Controlling her
overwhelming emotions she managed to bid her mother farewell. She had the least hope of meeting her mother again. Yet she
struck a note of optimism by saying they both would meet again soon.

Meaning
• Ache – Pain
• My childhood’s fear – Fear of losing mother
• Amma – Mother
Questions and Answers
1. What is the poet’s old, familiar ache? How did that ache return at the airport?
The poet used to get separated from her mother in her childhood. Those separations were painful to her. After so many
separations this pain and separations were familiar to the poet. At the airport she faced another separation from her mother and
it reminded her of the number of separations in the past.
2. The poet had the fear of separation from her mother in her childhood. How was that fear different at the airport?
The poet was about to separate from her aged mother at the airport. The mother and daughter had many times stayed separated
in the past but this was going to be different from all. The childhood separations were brief and less painful. But today, the
poet was flying to a distant land for a long stay there. She could not say if the two would ever meet again.
3. Why did the poet promise her mother of a meeting in the near future?
The poet was doubtful of her seeing her mother again. She knew that the mother was also aware of the same as she was. Yet, to
encourage her mother, to leave a hope in her mind, to make herself strengthened, the poet promised a futile reunion in the
future.
4. The poet’s repeated smile seems out of place in a way. In which way is that appropriate?
The poet had no reason to smile at the time of separation from her aged mother. She was deeply distressed and pained to
separate her mother at such a very old age of the mother. Yet, to make the mother feel ‘there is nothing to worry,’ the poet
attempted to be glad, cheerful and reassured by her extended smile.
Notes
1. On the way to AP
1. Notices mother
1. Pale
2. Wan
3. Aged
4. Late winter moon
2. Effects on the poet
1. Sad
2. Nostalgic
3. Pain of separation
4. CH Fear
2. At the AP
1. After Check in
1. Notices mother again
2. Fear again
3. Smiles
4. Says, “See you soon, Amma.”

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 Few very important Questions for the Board Examination

… and realized with pain

that she was as old as she looked
but soon put that thought away…
1. What did the poet realize with pain? (1 mark)
The poet realized with pain that her mother was not any young but she had grown old.
2. Why did the poet put ‘that thought’ away? (1 mark)
The poet put the thought of her mother’s ageing away because that pained her at the time of her departure.

“Standing a few yards

away, I looked again at her, wan, pale
As a late winter’s moon, and felt
that familiar ache, my childhood’s fear…”
1. Who looked at whom? (1 m)
The poet looked at her ageing mother who stood a few yards away from her.
2. How did the poet’s mother appear at the airport? (1 m)
At the airport, the poet’s mother looked more aged than usual. Her face was wan and pale resembling the dim moon at the end
of winter.
3. Why is the mother compared to a late winter’s moon? (1m)
In the late winter, moon appears dim and dull due to the heavy fog and clouds. It is constantly under the shadow of clouds.
Similarly, the poet’s mother was aged. She too was weak and she had lost the vigour of her youth and the charm of her
adulthood.
4. What was the poet’s childhood fear? How did this fear become a familiar ache for the poet? (1 m)
The poet had a fear of separation from her mother in her childhood. Due to the recurring fear, it became a familiar ache for the
poet.
5. How far is the simile in the second line apt? (1 mark)
The simile, the comparison between the ageing mother and late winter’s moon, is apt because the two are receding. The moon
is no brighter due to the clouds and fog as the mother who has lost the lustre of her youth.
6. Which pain has become a familiar ache for the poet? (Indirect question. 1 mark)
The pain of her separation from her mother, due to its repeated occurrence, feared through infancy and childhood, is the poet’s
childhood’s fear.

… and realized with pain

that she was as old as she looked
but soon put that thought away…
and looked out at Young trees sprinting
the merry children spilling out of their homes…
1. What did the poet realize with pain? What was painful about the realization? (1 mark)
2. How did the poet put ‘that thought’ away? Do you think that the poet was able to successfully put ‘that thought’ away? Why
do you think so? (1 mark)
3. Bring out the effect of contrast (a poetic device) in the stanza. (1 marks)
Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 Words)
Question.1. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?
Answer. Kamala Das finds the thoughts of her ageing mother very painful and disturbing. It is difficult for her to accept the
fact of her mother growing old, as it brings back to her mind her childhood fear of losing her mother. She makes a deliberate
effort to drive or put away such thoughts by looking out of the moving car, at the trees ‘sprinting’ and the joyful young
children rushing out of their homes.
Question.2. What was the poet’s childhood fear?
Or
What were Kamala Das’s, fears as a child? Why do they surface when she is going to the airport?
Answer. As a child Kamala Das was insecure about losing her mother just as all young children often are. The same feelings

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are evoked inside her while she is on the way to the airport, as she sees her mother’s pale face, which is a sign of her old age
and impending death.
Question.3. What do the parting words of Kamala Das and her smile signify?
Answer. The poet’s parting words and her smile is a facade to hide her feelings of insecurity. The pale and senile appearance
of her mother brings back her childhood fear of losing her mother. She can definitely experience the pangs of separation, yet
she bids her farewell in a pleasant manner. She reassures her mother that all will be well and they would meet again.
Question.4. Why has the poet’s mother been compared to the “late winter’s moon”?
Or
Why has Kamala Das compared her mother to a “late winter’s moon”?
Answer. The poet has used this simile as ‘the late winter’s moon’ looks too hazy and lacks brightness and lustre. Similarly, the
mother, who is now sixty-six, is pale and has a shrunken and ashen face. She is devoid of the effervescence and exhilaration of
youth.
Question.5. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Answer. The poet is travelling in a speeding car and the roadside trees seem speeding past or sprinting in the opposite
direction. The poet has contrasted the ‘young trees’ which are moving fast to her mother, who is old and slow. The young
sprinting trees signify life and its activities and that life goes on despite one’s personal sorrows and miseries.
Question.6. What were the poet’s feelings at the airport? How did she hide them?
Answer. The poet was torn apart by the feeling whether she would see her mother alive the next time or not. She hid her
feelings by smiling reassuringly at her mother.
Question.7. What do the parting words of the poet Kamala Das to her mother signify?
Answer. The parting words of Kamala Das to her mother signify her anxiety and fear about her mother’s frail health. They
also express the hope that her mother would survive till they meet again. .
Question.8. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children spilling out of their homes?
Answer. The young children spilling out of their homes represent the exuberance and vigour of youth. They are in complete
contrast to the poet’s mother. Perhaps the poet has used the image to bring out the pangs of old age.

Chapter-1

The Last Lesson – Alphonse Daudet

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet is a story (real) that presents how miserably the French people felt when their
enemies banned French language in their schools. The Last Lesson makes us think of the importance of one’s own
language.

Prussian troops conquered Alsace and Lorraine in the year 1870. They imposed new rules on the people. Today they banned
French and introduced their language – German – in Alsace. All the French teachers have been ordered to quit their school.
While people discussed their fate in silence, the French teacher was teaching his last class in his school. He was M Hamel. He
had been teaching French for the last 40 years but he was not very dedicated. Nor were his students. With the ban imposed,
both, the teacher and students realize their fault. They regret their laziness. They blame themselves.

Bit/Bits

A German coalition power called Prussia conquered two states of France – Alsace and Lorraine. /Alsace//Lorrain/
in the year 1870.
The new government imposed a number of regulations and bans on the people of these states.
A boy from Alsace is on his way to school. He is unwilling to school and scared of his teacher, M. Hamel. The boy’s
name is Franz. Very lazy and illiterate.
While passing the Town Hall, Franz sees so many French citizens overcrowded in front of the bulletin board (a
huge notice board). They are reading the latest order from the Prussians, their enemies.
The order said:
No French school will hereafter teach French.
All French teachers are hereby ordered to leave the country.
Students should attend their schools and learn German as their language.
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 New teachers are already appointed.
Franz is illiterate so he cannot read the order. After halting for a while, Franz runs off to his school.
In the school Franz is told of the new order and of his teacher’s leaving the school.
Although never interested in learning, Franz for the first time, felt like blaming himself – for not having learnt his
lessons.
He listened to M. Hamel’s last lecture. Wonder! He understood every word, every grammar, every rule.
The last class transformed his life and aptitude. He saw how important it is to be literate, how essential it is to love
one’s mother tongue and how painful it is to be denied the right to learn one’s mother tongue!
Terms to Include in your Answers

M Hamel
Earlier – Rude, lazy, not dedicated
Change – Patient, patriotic, a deep love for French, not scolding, understanding
Franz
Earlier – Lazy, not studious, wandering away from school, never cared about studies
Change – Suddenly started loving French, hated the Prussians, longed to study French
Classroom
Earlier – Noisy, uncontrollable, chaotic, loud, no learning, no teaching
Change – Calm, silent, greatly attentive
Prussians – Imposed new bans, marched everywhere, disregarded the freedom of the French people, barbaric,
unfeeling, insensitive,
Ban – No more French, learn German instead, all French teachers leave the country.
The Alsace Public

Two states of France, Alsace and Lorraine, were conquered by the Prussian troops in the beginning of the 1870 Franco-
Prussian war. (The war lasted for only one year) The new government imposed rules and bans on the French people.
The last of the bans was the ban on the learning and teaching of French.

The news of the ban was displayed on the bulletin board in front of the town hall. People crowded there to read the
bulletin. They were very much shocked and sad. They had to accept the ban under great resentment. They saw how
much they had loved their mother tongue. They saw how important their language was. They didn’t want to lose their
language. They discussed their fate, shared their bitterness and felt helpless.

It was at this time Franz was rushing to his school. He was a student of the elementary school in Alsace run by Mister
Hamel, the teacher who taught them French. He was, as usual, late. A blacksmith, Mr. Wachter, saw him dashing by.
Watcher expressed his anger and helplessness at the ban on French by asking Franz not to go in such a hurry as there
was no more French to be learnt. But Franz hurried on, because he didn’t understand what Mr. Wachter mean.

1. What did Wachter mean by saying Franz would get to his school in plenty of time?
Wachter, the blacksmith, meant it ironically. He meant there was no more French taught in the school as per the ban imposed
by the Prussians and it would take a long time to get it back and therefore there was no need to hurry to his school.
2. What attracted Franz on his way to school?
Franz was attracted by the warm weather outside. The birds that chirped at the edge of the forest and the Prussian soldiers who
were drilling also slowed down his interest to go to school.
3. Why was Franz late for school that day?
Franz was instinctively not interested in learning French language. That day he had to learn the rules of Participles and he was
least prepared for that and was therefore afraid of his teacher, M. Hamel. Moreover, he was allured by the attractions on the
way to school.
4. Why was Franz not able to understand if Mr. Wachter was teasing him or not?
Franz didn’t understand what Mr. Wachter meant by saying there was plenty of time for Franz to get to his school because he
was illiterate and therefore didn’t understand the order published on the bulletin board.

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5. What hidden message did Wachter’s advice to Franz contain?
Wachter’s advice for Franz hid a message for him. Having had no safe way to communicate to Franz and scared of working
against the Prussian order, M Wachter was trying to tell him that there was no need to rush to his school as there was no
French taught there anymore.
6. Describe the atmosphere of the school on usual days.
On usual days the school no longer looked like a school. The noises inside the school could be heard out in the street. Children
were in a playful mood, opening and closing their desks and shouting their lessons in chorus. The teacher had to use his ruler
to silence the class.
Next at school
Once outside the school, Franz wondered at the silence around the school. It was never silent like this! Was it Sunday? He
wondered. He waited for the noises from the school to get in without being noticed but there was not a sound. Finally he
had to go in in front of all. To his amazement he was not punished for his late coming. M. Hamel, the cranky teacher,
asked him to get in and regretted having begun the class without Franz. Franz took his seat.

Among others Franz noticed that the classroom was full and there were some old villagers sitting in the back benches. M.
Hamel announced that it was their last French class as the Prussians had banned French in schools and introduced German
instead. It was shocking news for Franz. Only then he understood why the people had been staring at the bulletin board. He too
felt his love for French returning. He hated the Prussians for every reason. He began to love his teacher, classroom, books and
lessons. He felt sorry for not learning his lessons, for postponing his study and for not realizing the greatness of his language.

1. How did the classroom look different that last day? Whose presence was extraordinary?
For the first time in its existence, M. Hamel’s classroom looked like an ideal classroom. There was a deep silence in the class.
No one spoke a word. All were sad. Besides, the presence of the villagers there was extraordinary.
2. Why that class was the Last Class?
Alsace was conquered by the Prussians and as a result a new order came from Berlin to ban teaching of French in the schools
of Alsace. The order further said that all the French teachers like M. Hamel had to leave the territory within a day and therefore
that class was to be the last class.
3. How had Franz’ books become ‘old friends for him?
Friends become sweeter when they depart from us. With the ban on French, his books were also going to get separated from
Franz and therefore they seemed to be old friends for him.
4. Franz related the extraordinary changes in the classroom to the ban on French that had been published on the bulletin
board. How?
When Franz passed the bulletin board at the Town Hall, he didn’t know what was so curious about it. Later, when he reached
his school there was changes and curiosity there too. Finally when he was told of the ban on French and of M. Hamel’s
transfer, he connected the order on the bulletin board and the extraordinary changes in the classroom.

M. Hamel’s speech

Franz heard his teacher praising French, blaming French parents for not sending their children to school and children for not
attending school. He also blamed himself for not being a committed teacher. M. Hamel said that language is very important for
a nation because the unity of a nation mostly depended on its language and no aggression can make such a united nation its
slave. There was complete silence in the class. Not even the children made a sound. They were all sad. Franz heard pigeons
cooing on the roof of the classroom and wondered if the Prussians wound impose a ban on their cooing-language the next day.
He heard an old man, Hauser, reading lessons with the children. He too was crying.

Questions & Answers

1. What did M. Hamel mean by, ‘And now you see where we’ve come out!’
The people of Alsace were generally unwilling to learn their language. They left learning to another day and did all except that.
Suddenly the ban on French was imposed by the Prussians and the people had no time left to learn their mother tongue.

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2. How does M. Hamel blame the parents of his students?
The parents of his students were, in M. Hamel’s opinion, greedy for money. They considered learning less important than
making a living. They used to send their children to work in the farms and mills to earn an extra amount of money.
3. How is a nation’s language important for its citizens beyond the mere use for communication?
Language is primarily important for communication. Besides, it has the amazing power to bind a nation together. Once a
nation is thus united it can stand against all foreign aggression and safeguard its freedom. A nation that stands separated cannot
stand against its enemy. Language is one of the most powerful elements that boost the unity of a nation. If a nation has a single
language it is said to be united and no aggression can conquer it.
4. The dead reaction to the beetles that flew into the classroom clearly said the children’s resentment to the ban on
French. Explain.
In M. Hamel’s school beetles used to swarm in and children used to take that for fun, too. But that day there was an amazing
change in the usual reactions to the beetles. Due to the shock and sadness caused by the ban on French even the little children
took no notice of the beetles.
5. What changes had happened in and outside the classroom during the forty years of M. Hamel’s service? How do they
speak of his incompetence?
M Hamel was sent to teach the Alsace population. Forty years passed yet Alsace remained illiterate. Only the desks and
benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were taller, and the hopvine that he had planted himself twined
about the windows to the roof. Yet there was no change or growth in the literacy and education levels of the people.
6. Why did M. Hamel say that people should safeguard their language among themselves?
In M Hamel’s opinion language has great importance for every nation. If a nation is well literate, there will be a great unity and
understanding among the citizens. If a nation safeguards its language, it is not likely that another nation can conquer it.
7. Why did Franz wonder if the Prussians would make even the pigeons coo in German?
Having felt helpless about the ban on French under the Prussian rule, Franz saw that imposing one’s language upon the
defeated nation is inhuman. It can be considered as senseless as snatching the pigeon’s right to coo in any way it likes to.
8. “What would I not have given to be able to say that dreadful rule for participle all through, very loud and clear, and
without one mistake?” What did Franz mean by this?
Franz wished if he could recite his lesson clearly, without any mistake so that he could please M Hamel, the sad teacher just
because Franz could recite his lesson without any error.
9. “Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you…” What will the fellows rightly say to the French men?
OR What was the justification of the Prussians for imposing German on the Alsace population?
The Prussians had all the right reasons to impose German on the French citizens. Even though it was their way of annexing
Alsace and Lorraine to Germany, they explained that it was their literacy program meant for Alsace.
The class is dismissed!
It was noon. The Prussian soldiers went marching by the school. Their sounds frightened everyone. If they noticed that
a class was still progressing, they could have arrested M. Hamel. But M. Hamel showed amazing patriotism. He wanted
to say, “Long live France” but he could not. Either he was overwhelmed by emotions or he was scared of the Prussians.
He went to the black board and wrote as big as he could: vive la France! Long live, France!

Questions & Answers

1. How did old Hauser make a comic melodrama out of his presence in the class?
Hauser was an old man in Alsace. Like many others, he too was illiterate yet had an undying passion for learning French. The
sight of him with his old alphabet books, reciting lessons with the little boys and girls, made everyone laugh at one point but at
another point they felt sorry for him and for themselves remembering the bitter reality that they would not have another day to
learn their mother tongue.
2. How does the author present a nation’s love for its lost freedom?
For the people of Alsace being conquered by another country wasn’t a new experience. But they had never foreseen that their
freedom to learn their own language would be taken away from them one day. They had a teacher to teach them French but
they never took him seriously. They used to put off learning for another day but one day came without another day to follow.
Their freedom to learn their own language taken away from them, the people of Alsace realized its importance. Everyone,
young and old, reflected the loss of something whose importance they realized only when it was taken away from them. They
wanted their freedom back. They wished to learn their language as intensely as their teacher wished to teach them in an hour’s
time. The usually boisterous classroom became a peaceful place of learning. Some felt a sudden love for their books that were
once burden for them while others wept with their books in hand. The teacher became emotional and accepted his failure in

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 teaching the people and his students strove to learn French in an hour. They hated the Prussians and themselves for their lost
freedom.
3. How was the last class a new lesson for Franz?
Franz was a typical child of Alsace. He too, like the others, had put off learning for another day. To Franz learning French was
very difficult. He loved anything except his own language. But when he was told that there was no more chance to learn of his
language, Franz felt guilty of not having taken keen interest to learn it. It is obvious that Franz knew no French, if at all to read
and write. All of a sudden, his love for learning his language grew strong in him. He paid his full attention to his master
Hamel. He understood every rule of the grammar, every sentence, very easy. The teacher no longer appeared to him cranky nor
his terrible ruler any more terrorizing. He loved to learn French in an hour. He felt very sorry for not learning. The last class
was unforgettable for Franz.
4. How had the natives of Alsace become victims of linguistic chauvinism?
Linguistic chauvinism is overt (high) preference for one’s language over those of others. Language is considered to be cultural
identity of a particular group of people who use it. Imposing a foreign language on them hampers (disrupts, upset) their emotions
and is a step to annex (conquer) their relationship with culture. The language of any country is the pride of that country. It not
only defines the culture but also talks about the people, their literature and their history. The Last Lesson very prominently raises
the question of linguistic and cultural hegemony (supremacy) of colonial and imperial past and their lust (desire) for controlling
the world and influencing their cultures and identity. The words of little Franz, “will they make the pigeons coo in German”
clearly raises the fact that the birds and animals cannot be forced to abandon their language to coo in the language of the
oppressor. The Prussians, by imposing their language on the Alsatians, felt that they could rule over their territory as well as their
minds but they did not realize that power cannot destroy a people’s pride in their own language.

5. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this
happen?
A. When the village men realize that their mother tongue, French will no longer be taught to them, they realize its
importance. Suddenly, they develop an inclination towards learning.
They attend the last lesson of French, bring their old, torn primers to learn the language which shows their eagerness.
They regret putting off learning French to the next day. Now, finally, the last lesson has arrived, and they cannot read
their own language. They are ashamed of themselves and realize that the Germans have overpowered them due to their
lack of knowing their own language.
6. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?
A. Franz is disheartened when he comes to know that he can no longer learn his language – French. Their district has
been captured by Germany and now German will be taught to them. Franz feels that mother tongue comes to a person
naturally, he is born with it and no one can snatch it away.
Just like the pigeons make the ‘coo’ sound, irrespective of the country from which they are, similarly, human beings
also communicate in their mother tongue. As the Germans are trying to impose their language on the French, so
similarly, Franz feels that they will teach the pigeons also to ‘coo’ in German language. He has given this example to
highlight his point that language is a natural mode of communication and it cannot be imposed.
7. Our language is part of our culture and we are proud of it. Describe how regretful M. Hamel and the village elders are
for having neglected their native language, French.
A: When Berlin ordered that French language would no longer be taught in schools in the French districts of Alsace
and Lorraine, it stirred the otherwise lazy Frenchmen. Suddenly, they all had a strong desire to learn how to read and
write their mother tongue. It was not only the children who went to school but also the elders of the village who had
not studied seriously in their childhood, putting off ‘unimportant’ works to the next day. The day finally arrived as the
last day of French language in the schools. They become serious and keen to learn as they feel the German would
laugh at them for not knowing their own language. They are ashamed of themselves when the teacher says that this
lack of knowledge is the reason for their defeat to the Germans and asks them to guard their mother tongue as being
close to one’s language is the key to escape from the prison of slavery.

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 CHAPTER-2
LOST SPRING
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1:
What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
Or
In what sense is garbage gold to the rag pickers?
Or
‘Garbage to them is gold.’ Why does the author say so about the rag pickers?
Answer:
Garbage means ‘gold’ to the poor rag pickers because some of it can be sold for cash, thus becoming a means of survival for
the children of Seemapuri and for their parents. It is providing them their daily bread and a roof over, their heads.

Question 2:
What does Saheb look for in the garbage dumps?
Or
What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Answer:
In the garbage dumps, Saheb looks for useful items which can be sold for cash. As these items can be traded for money, they
are just like ‘gold’ for him. Saheb and his family live in Seemapuri, a slum on the periphery of Delhi. His family had migrated
from Bangladesh.

Question 3:
“It is his karam, his destiny.” What is Mukesh’s family’s attitude towards their situation?
Or
How is Mukesh different from the other bangle-makers of Firozabad ?
Or
How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Answer:
Mukesh’s grandmother says this, as she believes in destiny, meaning that their family cannot escape from their God-given
lineage of bangle-makers and will remain bangle-makers, continuing to suffer. But Mukesh has the courage to dream of
becoming a motor mechanic, thus breaking free from destiny.

Question 4:
How was Saheb’s life at the tea stall?
Or
What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?
Or
Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.
Answer:
Saheb took up the job of performing odd jobs at a tea stall, but was unhappy because he was tied down by the work he had to
do, thus losing his independence, which he had earlier as a rag picker.

Question 5:
Describe Mukesh as an ambitious person.
Answer:
Mukesh is an ambitious person because he wants to become a motor mechanic by breaking free from the vicious web of
generations of families being involved in bangle-making. He has the courage to dream of becoming a motor mechanic, thus
breaking free from destiny.

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Question 6:
What kind of gold did the people of Seemapuri look for in the garbage? (Lost Spring)
Answer:
The people of Seemapuri look for items in the garbage which can be traded for money, meaning ‘gold’, as it helps them earn
their daily bread and have a roof over their heads. For a child, garbage may mean something wrapped in wonder, whereas for
the elders it is a means of survival.

Question 7:
Why had the ragpickers come to live in Seemapuri?
Or
To which country did Saheb’s parents originally belong? Why did they come to India?
Or
Why did Saheb’s parents leave Dhaka and migrate to India?
Answer:
Once Saheb’s parents lived in Bangladesh, amidst the green fields of Dhaka. There were many storms that swept away their
fields and homes. That’s why they migrated to Delhi and settled down in Seemapuri looking for an occupation.

Question 8:
Whom does Anees Jung blame for the sorry plight of the bangle-makers?
Answer:
Anees Jung blames the vicious circle of the sahukars (moneylenders), middlemen,
policemen, bureaucrats and politicians for the sorry plight of the bangle-makers. They don’t allow the bangle-makers to
organise themselves into a cooperative.

Question 9:
What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil his dream? Why? Why not?
Or
Who is Mukesh? What is his dream?
Or
Is it possible for Mukesh to realise his dream? Justify your answer.
Or
What was Mukesh’s dream? In your opinion, did he achieve his dream?
Or
Why is Mukesh’s dream of learning to drive a car a mirage?
Answer:
Mukesh belongs to the bangle-makers of Firozabad where each family is engaged in bangle-making. On asking, Mukesh says,
“I will be a motor mechanic. I will learn to drive a car.” Thus, he wants to be his own master. However, because he is caught
up in the vicious cycle created by others, he will not be able to realize his dream and will remain a bangle-maker.

Question 10:
In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children, they are not devoid of hope. How far do you age?
Answer:
In spite of growing up amidst despair and disease, children who live in slums have the desire to achieve something big in life.
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, against his family tradition.

Question 11:
Why could the bangle-makers not organise themselves into a cooperative?
Answer:
The bangle-makers could not organize themselves into a cooperative because they were trapped in the vicious circle of
sahukars, middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats and politicians, who exploited them.
If they tried to organize themselves, they would be beaten by the police and put in jail.
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Question 12:
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer:
The glass bangles industry has a very hazardous working environment. People work in the glass furnaces with high
temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light. Most end up losing their eyesight even before they become adults. Adding to
their misery, they are caught in a vicious circle of people who exploit them.

Question 13:
Why does the author say that the bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web?
Or
What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Answer:
The bangle-makers in Firozabad are exploited at the hands of the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the law makers, the
bureaucrats and the politicians. Thus, they remain steeped in poverty. They cannot form cooperatives for their betterment.
Moreover, their children are also compelled to join the same trade at an early age, thus remaining in the vicious web.

Question 14:
What does the title ‘Lost Spring’ convey?
Answer:
Spring is associated with childhood. Just as spring is the season when flowers bloom, similarly, childhood is’ the period when
an individual blooms and grows. Anees Jung here presents the horrific truth about the life of children in India who are victims
of child labor and are not allowed to grow and bloom freely. Their childhood or springtime is lost.

Question 15:
What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Answer:
Some of the children simply do not care to take the trouble of taking their slippers down from the shelf to wear them. Another
explanation she receives is that not wearing footwear is a tradition. However, she feels that it is simply an excuse to hide a
perpetual state of poverty, as many families cannot afford to buy footwear for their children.

Question 16:
What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Answer:
Firozabad is famous for its bangle-making industry. Beautiful bangles can be seen all over. Every second family is engaged in
the business of bangle-making. It is the center of India’s glass-blowing industry where families have spent generations working
around furnaces.

Question 17:
What would be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to the cities?
Answer:
People migrate from villages to cities in search of a better livelihood. Poverty and poor facilities in the villages are a major
‘push’ factor. Life in the cities has a charm of its own and attracts the villagers. Many people also come to the cities looking
for work, leaving behind fields which are unproductive.

Question 18:
Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer:
Children are the future of the nation and, if brought up properly, can serve as strong pillars in a country’s development. Child
labor robs the children of the very essence of childhood, and often leaves them overburdened, undernourished, uneducated and
diseased. Increased awareness and strict enforcement of laws can help in eliminating child labor.

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Question 19:
Bring out the irony in Saheb’s name.
Answer:
Saheb is A poor ragpicker 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.

Question 20:
‘It is his karam, his destiny’. Explain.
Answer:
Mukesh’s grandmother believes in destiny. She believes that they cannot escape from the God-given lineage. It is their destiny
to suffer like this. They were bom in the caste of bangle-makers and will always be one, for they do not have any control over
their destiny.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Describe the difficulties the bangle makers of Firozabad have to face in their lives.
Or
Describe the circumstances which keep the workers in the bangle industry in poverty.
Answer:
The bangle makers of Firozabad are exposed to multiple health hazards while working. Many of them are children who work
near hot furnaces during daylight, often losing their eyesight before adulthood. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all
initiative and the ability to even think of taking up another profession. They are not able to organize themselves into a
cooperative due to bullying and exploitation by the politicians, authorities, moneylenders and middlemen. They live in stinking
lanes choked with garbage, having homes with crumbling walls, wobbly doors, no windows, overcrowded with families of
humans and animals coexisting in a primeval state. They have not even enjoyed even one full meal in their entire lifetime
because of their poverty.

Question 2:
How is Mukesh’s attitude towards his situation different from that of Saheb? Why?
Answer:
Mukesh belongs to a bangle-making family, but he is not content with this profession. He dares to dream of becoming a motor
mechanic and driving cars. He has strong will power and wants to achieve what he dreams about, unlike other people in his
family. In contrast to this, Saheb is a rag picker who is content with his life, but becomes unhappy when he gets a job at a tea
stall, even though now he is probably earning more and on a regular basis.
Saheb is unhappy because he has lost his independence, which he had as a rag picker. However, Saheb accepts his new
situation, whereas Mukesh dares to want to break free from tradition. This is because Mukesh is more courageous and
determined than Saheb will ever be.

Question 3:
Give a brief account of life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in Seemapuri.
Answer:
Seemapuri is a slum area located on the periphery of Delhi. Most of the residents of Seemapuri consist of people who are
refugees from Bangladesh. Saheb’s family is among them. The area consists of mud structures, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin.
It does not have facilities of sewage, drainage or running water. About 10000 rag pickers live here.
Their only means of livelihood is finding saleable items from rubbish. Thus, for them, the rubbish is as valuable as gold, for
their survival depends on these. These rag pickers have lived here for more than thirty years without any identity. They do not
have permits but have ration cards, thanks to the selfish whims and wishes of the politicians. With these they can get their
name on the voter’s lists and also buy grains for themselves at a subsidized rate.

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Question 4:
‘Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Do you
agree? Why/why not?
Answer:
Yes, I do agree that ‘Lost Spring’ narrates the grinding poverty and traditions to which thousands of people have succumbed.
The story written by Anees Jung revolves around the pitiable condition of poor children who have been forced to live in slums
and work hard in dirty conditions.
The first part tells the writer’s impression about the life of poor ragpickers who have migrated from Bangladesh but now are
settled in the Seemapuri area of Delhi.
The second part narrates the miserable life of the bangle-makers in Firozabad. The stark reality of these families is that, in spite
of back-breaking hard work that they put in, they cannot even afford two square meals a day. Besides, false and blind belief in
traditions does not let their children take up other respectable and better paying jobs which will improve their financial
situation.

Question 5:
The bangle-makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles and make everyone happy but they live and die in squalor. Elaborate.
Answer:
Firozabad is the center of India’s glass-blowing industry. Families have spent generations in this business, making beautiful
bangles of all hues and colors. But their own life is steeped in filth and misery. People work round the clock in glass furnaces
at high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light.
These workers are exposed to health hazards. They often end up losing their eyesight. Moreover, they are stuck in a vicious
circle of exploitation. Even if they try to form a cooperative, they are beaten up and jailed for doing something illegal.
They live in filthy homes in lanes choked with garbage. In such conditions, families of humans and animals exist together in a
primeval state. Thus, the bangle-makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles but live and die in squalor.

Question 6:
“Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi, yet miles away from it, metaphorically.” Explain.
Answer:
Seemapuri is a place on the outskirts of Delhi where 10000 ragpickers and their families live. The people living there are
squatters who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971. The ragpickers live in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin,
devoid of sewage, drainage or running water.
No one can imagine that such a place exists on the periphery of Delhi, the capital of India. It stands in stark contrast to the
metropolitan city of Delhi.
The main city of Delhi, and Seemapuri at its periphery, provide an exemplary case of contradiction.
In Delhi there is luxury and affluence, there are a host of opportunities and dreams, and in Seemapuri there is squalor,
hopelessness and despair. There is no chance for the inhabitants of this area to strive towards the attainment of the prospects
offered by Delhi. Thus, although Seemapuri is located at the periphery of Delhi, in the real sense, Delhi is as far as miles away
from it.

Question 7:
Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated
in the text?
Answer:
It often happens that promises made to poor children are rarely kept. It is mostly the people belonging to affluent classes who
indulge in making false promises to innocent children.These promises act as a bait in some cases. In others, they are meant to
avoid these children because they are regarded as a nuisance by most people.
When the author, Anees Jung, asks Saheb about school, his matter-of-fact reply that there is no school in his area forces her to
say casually that she will build one. What the author does not realise at the moment is the fact that the innocent child has taken
it rather seriously.
When he questions her again about the school, though she feels embarrassed at her false promise, it has left a deep impact on
the child. Later in life, Saheb may never actually believe the promises made by people.

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Question 8:
‘Saheb is no longer his own master.’ Comment.
Answer:
Grinding poverty and the necessity for a life of subsistence have involved Saheb, in ragpicking. Rummaging through garbage
does not provide him with a regular income but gives him freedom. He has all the liberty in the world to roam with his friends
in the streets without any worries to bother him.
Also, he can hunt for ‘gold’ in the garbage dumps. It provides him a hope and a thrill everyday in the form of a rupee or a ten-
rupee note. So, he looks forward to it. The job he takes up at a tea stall is one of his’ attempts to become his own master.
Ironically this further enslaves him. He is now not free to roam aimlessly in the streets. His new occupation binds him to serve
somebody else.

Question 9:
How in your opinion, can Mukesh realize his dream?
Answer:
Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle-makers, but his attitude to his situation is different from that of others.
He is a daring boy and he dreams of becoming a motor-mechanic and learning to drive a car.
The determination and strong will of becoming a motor-mechanic and learning to drive a car seems to be very strong. That is
why he says that he will walk to the garage. There he will have to meet the owner of the garage and request him to become a
motor-mechanic.
He must request for any petty work pertaining to the garage. Through his sincere efforts and hard work and the guidance of his
owner, he can attain the skills of a mechanic and then gradually that of car driving. In this way, he can surely realize his dream.

Value Based Questions

Question 1:
Most of us do not raise our voice against injustice in our society and tend to remain mute spectators. Anees Jung in her story,
‘Lost Spring’ vividly highlights the miserable life of street children and bangle makers of Firozabad. She wants us to act.
Which qualities does she want th,e children to develop?
Answer:
Anees Jung wants the children to become free . from the vicious cycle of poverty into which they have fallen due to the
middlemen, sahukars and law enforcement officials. She wants them to be bold enough to raise their voice against their
oppressors. She wants them to be fearless and optimistic so that they can dream of taking up other occupations, just like
Mukesh, who wants to be a motor-mechanic.
She wants them to become free from their traditional occupation so that they can realize their life’s ambitions. She sees the
spark of such a quality in Mukesh, who is willing to go to any lengths to become a motor-mechanic. She wants some people to
help them develop these qualities so that they can be free from injustice and exploitation, taking up other respectable and better
paying jobs which will improve their financial condition.

Deep Water

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

Question.1. Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water?
Answer. When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to a beach in California. There he was knocked down
by strong waves, was almost buried under water, and got breathless. Though he hung on to his father, he was quite frightened.
Secondly, when Douglas was ten or eleven, a big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the YMCA pool. He could not
come to the surface, in spite of all his efforts, and became panicky. These two incidents made Douglas scared of water.

Question.2.Why did Douglas prefer to go to YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming?

or
Which factors made Douglas to decide in favour of YMCA pool?
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Answer. According to Douglas, the YMCA pool was safer compared to the Yakima River. The river was quite deep and there
were several cases of drowning reported about it. As against the uncertain depth of the river, the pool was only two or three
feet deep at the shallow end. Though its depth was about nine feet at the deeper end, yet the drop was gradual, and Douglas
could rely on it.

Question.3. What did Douglas feel and do when he was pushed into the swimming pool?
or
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool?
Answer. When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he did not lose heart and planned to push himself up with all his force. He
thought that once he came to the surface, he would paddle to the edge of the pool. Thrice, he tried to come to the surface, but
unfortunately his strategy did not work and terror gripped him. His lungs were ready to burst; he was breathless and instead of
air, sucked water.

Question.4. How did his swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?
or
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?
Answer. The instructor adopted a systematic method to turn Douglas into a swimmer. He first made Douglas shed his initial
fear of water by making him cross a pool suspended by a rope attached to a pulley. The instructor held the other end of the
rope and relaxed and tightened it from time to time. Then he taught the narrator to breathe while swimming, and finally the leg
movements and other strokes.

Question.5. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Answer. After the instructor had trained Douglas in the art of swimming, Douglas was still not sure of himself. He felt tiny
vestiges of the fear now and then. So, he went to Lake Wentworth and swam. Once when terror returned, he challenged it and
did not let it overcome him. Finally, Douglas went to the Warm Lake. There he swam and the fear didn’t return to haunt him
again.

Question.6. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
Answer. After several individual attempts to overcome his fear, Douglas finally engaged an instructor. The instructor built a
swimmer out of him. But Douglas was not sure. To confirm that the terror would not strike him when he was swimming alone,
Douglas decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. At last, he made his terror fly away by swimming across the
Warm Lake.

Question.7. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer. The misadventure of having a near-drowning experience left a deep mark on Douglas’ mind.
The phobia of water hampered all his joys of enjoying different water sports like fishing,
canoeing, boating and swimming. He did not want to live with this handicap and so was determined to overcome his fear of
water.

Question.8. What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time?
Answer. When the author was going down to the bottom of the pool for the first time, those nine feet felt almost like ninety
feet. His lungs were ready to burst, but somehow, he summoned all his strength and sprang upwards, hoping to reach the
surface, but he didn’t pop up to the surface like a cork, as he had imagined. When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing but
water, his hands too grabbed only water.

Question.9. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire?

Answer. Douglas was not satisfied with his practice so he decided to go to Lake Wentworth. There when he was swimming in
the middle of the lake, only once did the terror return, but he finally overcame it, and it made him feel better.

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Question.10. When Douglas realized that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself?

Answer. When a big boy threw Douglas into the water, he went straight down. He was completely frightened. Still, he did not
lose his wits and thought of a strategy to make a big jump when his feet touched the bottom, so that he could reach the surface.
He even thought that he would lie flat on the surface and finally paddle to the edge of the pool.

Question.11. What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water with a yellow glow? How could he feel that
he was still alive?
Answer. When Douglas found himself deep down into the water with a yellow glow, stark terror gripped him. The terror
ripped him apart and he had no control over it. He felt paralyzed, stiff and rigid with fear. Even the screams in his throat were
frozen. It was only his throbbing heart that made him realize that he was still alive.

Long Answer Type Questions (5 Marks, 120-150 words)

Question.1. “I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.” What was the incident which nearly killed Douglas and
developed in him a strong aversion to water?
Answer. The incident which nearly killed Douglas occurred when he was ten or eleven years old. He had decided to learn
swimming at the YMCA pool, and thus get rid of his fear of water. One. morning, when he was alone at the pool, waiting for
others, a big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the pool. Though he had planned a strategy to save himself as he
went down, his plan did not work. He went down to the bottom and became panicky. Thrice he struggled hard to come to the
surface, but failed each time. He was almost drowned in the pool. He lost his consciousness and felt that he would die. Though
he was ultimately saved, this misadventure developed in him a strong aversion to water.

Question.2. Douglas fully realised the truth of Roosevelt’s statement, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” How did this
realisation help him brush aside his fear and become an expert swimmer?
Answer. Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that the fear of death can cause. Strong will, hard
determination, courage and toil as well as honest labour won over all his terrors and fears. The will to live brushed aside all his
fears.
In reality all our fears are only psychological, and can be easily won over, if we can control our mind. This realisation makes
Douglas resolve to learn swimming by engaging an instructor. This instructor, piece by piece, built Douglas into a swimmer.
However, his first step was to drive away Douglas’ fear of water, before training him in swimming techniques. When Douglas
tried and swam the length of the pool up and down, small traces of his old terror of water would return. So, he went to Lake
Wentworth, dived at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. Finally, he was certain that he had
conquered his fear of water.

Question.3. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of these qualities in the light of
Douglas’ experience in ‘Deep Water.’
Answer. The terror of water followed Douglas wherever he went. To get rid of it, he made a strong determination. He decided
to overcome his fear through his “will.” He engaged an instructor who would perfect him in swimming. The instructor first
helped him drive away his fear, and then gave him many exercises besides teaching him to exhale and inhale in water.
The practice went on for months together, during which his fear came back to haunt him, but his desire and firm will make him
persist in his- efforts. It was only through sheer determination and diligence that Douglas could not only counter his terror, but
also become an expert swimmer.
He swam across and back lakes to ensure that his fear of water did not return. He had now completely lost his fear. His desire,
determination and diligence succeeded in banishing his fear of water.

Question.4. How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?

or
“…….there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.” When did Douglas start fearing water?
Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality?

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Answer. Douglas developed an aversion to water in his early childhood, when he was three or four years old, his father took
him to a beach in California. The waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried in water. He was frightened
but his father was laughing. Perhaps this was the moment his fear of water took root inside his mind.
Further, when Douglas was ten or eleven years old, he decided to learn to swim and went to the YMCA pool. Here an incident
took place that finally established his aversion to water as a big fear. One day when Douglas was alone at the pool sitting on
the edge and waiting for others to come, a big boy of 18 years of age threw him into the deep end of the pool.
What followed was a nightmarish experience for him. Douglas tried very, hard and applied all his knowledge to come to the
surface of the water but to no avail. Somehow, he was saved. Thus, after this fearful incident, his fear of water got implanted in
his heart and mind
permanently.

Question.5. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?

Answer. To overcome his fear of water, Douglas finally decided to get an instructor to learn swimming. The instructor started
working with him five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around Douglas. A rope was attached to the
belt that went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope and, along with
Douglas went back and forth, across the pool, hour after hour, day after day, week after week. On each trip across the pool a
bit of panic seized Douglas. It took almost three months before the tension reduced.
Then the instructor taught him to put his face under the water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. For weeks, his
instructor made him kick with his legs. Until, he was able to command his legs at his will.
In this way, piece by piece, his instructor made Douglas a swimmer. When Douglas perfected each piece, his instructor put
them together into an integrated one. As a result, in nearly six months Douglas was able to swim, dive, crawl and so on.

EXTRA Question and Answers

Q1. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details
that have made the description vivid.
A. William describes his experience where he had a close brush with death at the Y.M.C.A. Swimming pool. As it a first-
person account, he has described it deeply. The emotional, mental and physical struggle and the paralyzing fear of drowning
have been discussed in detail.

William retained his intelligence and had a plan to come to the surface. He tried it but I did not work and after a few trials to
save his life, death dawned upon him. All these details make the description vivid.

Q2. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?

A. William Douglas was not able to come out of his fear. So, he hired a swimming instructor. Once he had learned swimming,
he wanted to check if he had overcome the fear as well. He would swim in lakes and found the fear to return in small phases.
William was no longer scared as he knew that he could swim. Hence, he overcame the fear.

Q3. Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning
does he draw from this experience?
A. William Douglas gives a detailed description of his childhood experience so that the reader gets familiar with the kind of
fear that he had as a child.
When he quotes Roosevelt ““All we have to fear is fear itself” he tries to draw a larger meaning from this experience. He wants
to highlight the fact that life became meaningful and the desire to live grew intense once he had conquered his fear.
Q1: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words:
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?

OR
Q2: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words:

What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in Douglas’ mind?

Page 21 of 139
A: Since the age of three or four, when the author accompanied his father to the beach, he realized that he disliked water. He
would get frightened by the power of the waves which threw him, swept over and he was buried in water.
Later, at the age of ten – eleven years, he decided to learn swimming. He joined swimming classes at a swimming pool at the
Y.M.C.A. He felt that the swimming pool was safe. Also, the pair of water wings would help him stay on the surface but more,
they instilled a sense of confidence in him. It was just when he had started feeling comfortable that an incident took place. A big
boy picked up the author and threw him in the pool at the deep end. He got water in his mouth and sank to the bottom. He was
frightened but kept his mind working and devised a way out but things did not turn out as planned. His lungs felt as if they would
burst, he was overpowered by fear, reached out, as if to grab something, but could only get his hands on the water. He got
suffocated due to lack of air, could not scream, moved his arms desperately but all his efforts failed and he once again sank to
the bottom of the pool. An unexplainable terror seized him. His limbs were lifeless, rigid due to fear and he could not even
scream, the only sign of life was his heartbeat. He sucked in water and then suddenly all his efforts to save himself stopped. He
was relaxed, peaceful, fearless and sleepy, almost dead.
It was due to these experiences that the author developed an aversion to water.

Q3: Answer in 30 – 40 words:

How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?
A: The instructor made him practice swimming step by step and gradually, piece by piece, turned him into a swimmer. When he
had perfected each piece, he put them together into an integrated whole.

Q4: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words:

Describe the efforts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water.
A: Douglas was in the tight grip of a fear of swimming in water bodies and finally decided to get rid of it. He hired an instructor
who taught him swimming piece by piece and when he had learnt it all, he combined all the pieces together and made Douglas
a swimmer. Still, he was not confident, and the terror would seize him time and again. Douglas wanted to get rid of all the fear,
he wanted to conquer it. So, he went to various lakes, dived and swam across them. He reverted sarcastically to the tiny vestiges
of fear that would grip him time and again until all of it vanished away. Douglas realized that fear was merely a crop of the mind
and once he had conquered it, he felt released, free to walk arduous terrains, climb peaks and brush aside fear. Douglas had faced
stark terror and then by conquering it his desire to live life grew intensely.

Q5: Answer the following question in 30 – 40 words:

How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool affect Douglas?
A: Douglas’ experience of drowning and almost being dead instilled a fear of water in him. He shook and cried, couldn’t eat,
for days a haunting fear engulfed him, the slightest exertion upset him. He never went back to the pool, feared water and avoided
it whenever he could.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool?
Or
Why did Douglas prefer to go to the YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming?
Or
What factors made Douglas decide in favor of the YMCA pool?
Answer:
Douglas mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool because it was safe, being only
two or three feet deep at the shallow end with a gradual drop to nine feet at the other end. In contrast, the Yakima River was
quite deep and several cases of drowning in it had been reported.

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Question 2:
How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of water? (Deep water)
Answer:
Douglas removed his residual doubts by swimming across Warm Lake to the opposite shore and back. He says, “I
shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. I had conquered my fear of water.”

Question 3:
How did Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool affect him?
Or
How did the incident at the YMCA pool affect Douglas?
Answer:
Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool left a haunting fear of water in his heart. He started avoiding venturing near
water and this fear remained with him for many years. It prevented him from fishing, boating and swimming, besides
ruining his social life.

Question 4:
Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water?
Answer:
The first incident occurred when he was three or four years old at a beach in California. A strong wave knocked
Douglas down and he was buried in water.
The next incident occurred at the YMCA pool when he was ten or eleven. A big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep
end of the pool. He went down to the bottom and almost drowned in the pool.

Question 5:
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a Swimmer?
Answer:
The instructor adopted a systematic method to turn Douglas into a swimmer. He first made him shed off his initial fear
of water by making him cross a pool suspended by a rope attached to a pulley. Then he taught Douglas to breathe while
swimming, and finally the leg movements and other strokes.

Question 6:
What did Douglas feel and do when he was pushed into the swimming pool?
Or
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans
did he make to come to the surface?
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he Was very much scared but he did not lose his mind. He planned that he
would make a big jump when his feet would touch the bottom. Thus, he would come to the surface. Unfortunately, the
plan failed. Douglas then grew panicky and started suffocating. He felt that he would die, and became unconscious.

Question 7:
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Or
What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
After the instructor had trained Douglas in the art of swimming, Douglas swam on Lake Wentworth. Once when the
terror returned, he challenged it, and did not let it overcome him. Finally, Douglas swam on the Warm Lake and the
fear didn’t return to haunt him ever.

Question 8:
What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time?
Page 23 of 139
Answer:
As Douglas went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time, he felt the way down the pool to be very long and his
lungs were, ready to burst. He summoned all his strength and jumped up, but could not reach the surface and began to
sink again.

Question 9:
When Douglas realized that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself?
Answer:
When Douglas realized that he was sinking, he thought that when his feet would hit the bottom, he would make a big
jump, come to the surface and lie flat on it. Then he would easily paddle to the edge of the pool.

Question 10:
What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down in the water with a yellow glow? How could he feel that he was still
alive?
Answer:
When Douglas went down in the water with a yellow glow for the second time, a sheer, stark terror seized him. It was
beyond control or understanding. Douglas was paralyzed with fear and could not move his limbs. Only his throbbing
heart and the pounding in his head made him feel that he was still alive.

Question 11:
What Is the ‘misadventure’ that William Douglas speaks about?
Answer:
William Douglas, speaks about the ‘misadventure’ which happened at the YMCA swimming pool when he was about
ten or eleven years old. A big bully threw Douglas into the deep end of the pool when no one was around. As Douglas
realized that he was drowning, he made several attempts to save himself, but all in vain. Finally, he felt that he would
die and became unconscious. When he gained consciousness, he was lying outside the pool. Apparently, somebody had
rescued him.

Question 12:
How did this experience affect him?
Or
What did Douglas learn from his experience of almost drowning?
Answer:
The near drowning experience had a very deep impact on Douglas. It left a haunting fear lurking in his heart. He was
extremely scared of water and avoided going near it whenever

Question 13:
Why does Douglas, as an adult, recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it?
What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Answer:
The tormenting phobia of water was with him since the incident at the YMCA pool. Douglas as an adult recounted the
horrific experience, as it had completely changed his life. He felt that the sensation of dying somehow intensified his zest
for life.
The fight against the terror taught him a very important lesson that ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ His final
shedding off of his fear proves that nothing is impossible for one with a firm will and determination.

Question 14:
How did Douglas get rescued when he was thrown in the pool?
Answer:

Page 24 of 139
The narrator does not mention this. When he regained consciousness, he was vomiting while lying on his stomach
beside the pool. Apparently, he had been rescued by someone.

Question 15:
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas regretted being deprived of enjoying water-based activities and shorts like canoeing, boating, fishing and
swimming. His ardent wish to enjoy such activities and regain his lost confidence while staying in water were the
reasons for his determination to get over his fear of water.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in Douglas’ mind?
Answer:
When Douglas was learning swimming at the YMCA pool at the age of ten or eleven, one day while sitting beside the
pool waiting for other people to come, a muscular bully picked him up and threw him into the deep end of the pool. As
Douglas realized that he may drown, he made three attempts to come up to the water surface, but failed and fell
unconscious. Ultimately, he was rescued by someone, but this episode in his life reinforced the fear of water in Douglas’
mind which he had first felt when, at the age of three or four, he had been completely swamped by a huge wave at the
seaside in California.
His father held on to him at that time to save him from drowning, but at the YMCA pool there was nobody.

Question 2:
How did Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool affect him? How did he get over this effect?
Answer:
The experience at the YMCA pool reinforced the fear of – water in Douglas’ mind which he had first felt when, at the
age of three or four, he had been completely swamped by a huge wave at the seaside in California.
The experience at the pool left a haunting fear of water in his heart. He started avoiding water whenever he could,
which affected his normal activities as well as his social life.
After a few years of suffering like this, Douglas decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. The instructor
systematically taught him how to swim, starting from the basics and taking all the required safety measures, which
gave Douglas confidence. After six months of training, Douglas swam across a number of lakes independently, thus
breaking free from his fear.

Question 3:
Describe the efforts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water.
Answer:
After a few years of unsuccessfully trying various methods to overcome his fear of water, Douglas decided to get an
instructor and learn to swim. The instructor systematically taught him how to swim, starting from the basics and
taking all the required safety measures, which gave Douglas confidence. After six months of training, Douglas swam the
length of the pool up and down for three months.
But he was still not satisfied. So, he swam two miles across Lake Went worth in New Hampshire. Then he swam across
Warm Lake and back. He shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. He had conquered his fear of water.

Question 4:
The story ‘Deep Water’ has made you realize that with determination and perseverance one can accomplish the
impossible. Write a paragraph in about 120-150 words on how a positive attitude and courage will aid you to achieve
success in life.

Page 25 of 139
Answer:
The story ‘Deep Water’ is a story of sheer determination and perseverance. It teaches us how, in spite of all odds, our
positive attitude and our courage to fight can help us achieve success in life. The narrator’s phobia of water or water
bodies had gripped him for quite a long period of his life. However, once he decides to overcome his fear, he is able to
shed it off completely. He adopts a positive attitude, and determines that he will fight his fear, no matter what.
His training is a long and slow process, but he learns everything patiently and never gives up.
Douglas’s perseverance and courage teach us that a firm will and determination, coupled with a bold attitude, can help
us win over all obstacles, and achieve the impossible.

Question 5:
Answer the following question in 120-150 words.
“I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.” What was the incident which nearly killed Douglas and developed in
him a strong aversion to water?
Answer: MCA pool when he was ten or eleven years old. He had decided to learn swimming at the YMCA pool, and
thus get rid of his fear.
The incident that nearly killed Douglas occurred at the Y of water. One morning, when he was alone at the pool, a big
bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the pool. Though he had planned a strategy to save himself, his plan did
not work. He went down to the bottom and got panicky Thrice he struggled hard to come to the surface but failed each
time. He was almost drowned in the pool. This misadventure developed in him a strong aversion to water.

Question 6:
Douglas fully realized the truth of Roosevelt’s statement. All we have to fear is fear itself. How did this realization help
him brush aside his fear and become an expert swimmer?
Answer:
Roosevelt said,” All we have to fear is fear itself’.’ Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror
that fear of it can produce. Strong will, hard determination, courage and toil as well as honest labor win over all our
terrors and fears. The will to live brushes aside all our fears.
This realization made him resolve to learn swimming by engaging an instructor. This instructor, piece by piece, built
Douglas into a swimmer. Then, he went to Lake Wentworth, dived at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the
lakes to Stamp Act Island. Finally, he had conquered his fear of water.

Question 7:
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?
Or
‘…. there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves. ‘When did Douglas start fearing water?
Which experience further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality?
Answer:
When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to the beach in California. Douglas hung on to his
father, yet the waves knocked him down and swept over him. His father was laughing but there developed a terror in
Douglas’ heart at the overpowering force of the waves.
The incident which further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality occurred when Douglas decided to learn
swimming when he was ten or eleven years old. He went to the YMCA pool. There a big bully tossed him into the deep
end of the pool. He went down to the bottom of the pool and panicked because all his efforts to come back up failed.
Finally, he was rescued by somebody, but he developed an aversion to water.

Question 8:
How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?
Or
How did the swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?
Answer:
Douglas decided to get an instructor to learn swimming.
The instructor started working with him five days a week, an hour each day. He put a belt around Douglas. A rope was
Page 26 of 139
attached to the belt that went through a pulley.
The instructor held the rope and pulled Douglas back and forth, across the pool, making him practice. The instructor
taught him to put his face under the water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale. Slowly and steadily, Douglas
was able to shed his fear of water, which was the greatest obstacle in his desire to swim.
For weeks after this, his instructor made him kick with his legs. Initially his legs were not responding, but with time
they relaxed and he was able to command his legs at his will. In this way, piece by piece, his instructor made Douglas a
good swimmer.

Question 9:
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered his old terror?
Or
What was Douglas’ fear? How did he overcome that fear?
Or
How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Answer:
At the age of three or four, Douglas was engulfed by waves from the sea, which started his fear of water. Then, when he
was ten or eleven years old, Douglas was tossed into a nine feet deep swimming pool by a bully of a boy. He had a near
drowning experience which further increased his fear.
Determined to get rid of his fear, Douglas engaged an instructor under whom he practiced five days a week, an hour
each day. The instructor tied Douglas with a rope suspended from a pulley to help him overcome his fear. However,
every time when the instructor loosened his grip, Douglas’s fear returned. It took him three months to overcome it.
Next, the instructor taught Douglas to exhale under water and inhale by raising his nose. He was made to kick with his
legs at the side of the pool to build up stamina.
Thus, Douglas spent six months with the instructor i.e., from October to April. Thereafter, he practiced on his own by
swimming across various lakes, finally overcoming his fear.

Question 10:
How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the
details that have made the description vivid.
Answer:
Although panicky, Douglas had his strategy in place to come popping up like a cork and then paddling to the edge of
the pool. Unfortunately, his first attempt failed and terror seized him.
He tried to grab a rope but his hands clutched only at water. He was suffocating and tried to yell, but no sound came
out. His legs were paralyzed, his lungs ached and his head throbbed. He was dizzy and trembled with fright. The only
signs of life in him were his beating heart and pounding head.
He attempted to come out of water a third time, but in vain. He sucked for air and got only water. Finally, he stopped
making efforts and fell unconscious.
All the above details of his gripping, near-drowning experience make us feel that we are experiencing his lurking terror
step by step.

Question 11:
Justify the title ‘Deep Water’.
Answer:
This story is appropriately titled ‘Deep Water’. It unfolds with the narrator deciding to learn swimming aft the YMCA
swimming pool. He admitted that he had an aversion to water. This began when he was three or four years old and his
father took him to a California beach. Here he was knocked down and swept away by the waves.
Yet another incident aggravated his phobia of water bodies. He was tossed by a robust bully into the deeper end of the
swimming pool. He nearly drowned and was terribly frightened. An ‘icy horror’ took possession of him and his legs
became paralyzed. He began to avoid going near water bodies.
Finally, he decided that it was time to act tough. He engaged an instructor who systematically trained him in the art of
swimming. Thus, the ‘deep’ aversion and terror he had of water was finally removed.

Page 27 of 139
Question 12:
Explain the statement— ‘The instructor was finished”.
Answer:
The narrator had engaged an instructor who would teach him to swim. He helped Douglas to get rid of the icy horror of
water bodies by attaching a rope to a belt worn by him. Holding the end of the rope in his hand, he made Douglas go
back and forth in the pool. Next, with the help of breathing techniques and exercises like kicking with his legs, the
instructor managed to build a swimmer of him bit by bit, step by step. The instructor also helped him in building up
stamina, thus improving his confidence. The instructor was hired in the month of October. By April, he put all he had
taught into an integrated whole. Thus, in a period of about six months, the instructor ‘built a swimmer’ out of Douglas.
It was time for the instructor to go away then, because he had finished with his training.

Value Based Questions

Question 1:
Roosevelt said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Do you agree? Why/why not?
Answer:
The quote, “All we have to fear is fear itself “, by the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, is absolutely true. It is
only the fear of consequences which prevents us from taking an action, and hampers our progress, not only as an
individual, but also as a society.
William. Douglas writes, “In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death.” It is his fear of drowning
which makes him develop an aversion to water, and avoid going near water bodies, or indulging in water sports. When
he is able to overcome his fear with the help of the instructor, he is able to learn to swim. Likewise, there are numerous
incidents around us that show how fear cripples the mind of an individual and society, and acts as an impediment to
growth.

Question 2:
Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of these qualities in the light of Douglas’
experience in ‘Deep Water’.
Answer:
The terror of water followed Douglas wherever he went. To get rid of it, he made a strong determination. He decided to
overcome his fear through his ‘will.’ He engaged an instructor who perfected him in swimming. The instructor gave
him hundreds of exercises and taught him to exhale and inhale in water.
The practice went on for three months and Douglas was able to counter his terror. Then after more exercises, the
instructor ordered him to dive. He swam across lakes also to gain confidence. He had now completely lost his fear of
water. His desire, determination and diligence had succeeded in banishing his fear of water.

THE RATTRAP
Question 1 : What do we learn about the crofter’s nature from the story, ‘The Rattrap’?
Answer : The crofter was a very kind man. He took pity on the peddler and not only gave him shelter but also gave him food
to eat and tobacco to smoke. He also entertained him as if he was guest and trusted him although he was a stronger.
Question 2 : Why did the crofter show the thirty kronor to the peddler?
Answer : The crofter showed the thirty kronor to the peddler just to share his joy of earning that much of money in a month.
He also showed it to him as he suspected that his guest did not seem to believe what he had told him.
Question 3 : What hospitality did the peddler receive from the crofter?
Answer : The crofter received the peddler most warmly and offered him generous hospitality. He gave him porridge for supper
and tobacco to smoke and played a game of cards with him. He also allowed him to stay at his home in the right.
Question 4 : Why was the peddler amused at the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Answer : The world had never been kind to the poor peddler. Therefore, he derived pleasure from thinking ill of the world and
imagining it as being a big rattrap. He got amused to think of the people he knew who got caught in the rattrap and of others
who were circling around the bait.
Question 5 : What brought about a change in the life of the peddler?

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Answer : Elda’s kind and caring behavior finally changed the peddler . she had treated him with love and respect befitting a
captain, even after realizing that he was poor peddler. the trust that Edla showed in him made him live a life with dignity and
respect.
Question 6 : Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him alone?
Answer : The ironmaster mistook the peddler to be Nils Olof, his old regimental comrade. So, he spoke to him kindly. He
invited him home as he and his daughter were alone and did not have any company for Christmas.
Question 7 : At the crofter’s home, why did the peddler feel very happy?
Answer : The peddler was received very warmly and given generous hospitality by the crofter. The crofter served him
porridge, treated him kindly and the two smoked and played cards. All this made the peddler very happy.
Question 8 : In what sense was the world a big rattrap according to the peddler?
Answer : The peddler thought that the world only existed to set baits for the people. It offered riches, joys, shelter, food and
clothing as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as one let himself to be tempted by the bait, it closed on him as a
rattrap does.
Question 9 : Why did the peddler knock on the cottage by the roadside? How was he treated by the owner of the
cottage?
Answer : The peddler knocked on the cottage by the roadside to seek shelter for the night. The owner of the cottage regarded
the peddler as welcome company. He not only put him up for the night, but also offered him food and played cards with him.
Question 10 : Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away?
Answer : Edla has always thought the peddler to be a poor, homeless tramp and didn’t feel cheated when his true identity was
revealed. Instead, she felt very bad for him and pleaded on his behalf as she and her father had promised him Christmas cheer.
Question 11 : What conclusion did the ironmaster reach when he heard that the crofter had been robbed by the
peddler?
Answer : When the ironmaster head that the crofter has been robbed by a peddler, who, no doubt, was the one he had
sheltered, he at once concluded that the peddler would probably have stolen all his silverware in his absence, and run away.
Question 12 : What was the content of the letter written by the peddler to Edla?
Answer : The peddler wrote that he wanted to be nice to Edla as she had treated him nicely and like a captain. He further
stated that he did not want her to be embarrassed by a thief at Christmas and requested her to return the money he had stolen to
the crofter.
Question 13 : What were the contents of the package left by the peddler as Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson?
Answer : The package left by the peddler as a Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson comprised of a small rattrap with three
wrinkled ten kronor notes in it, which the peddler had robbed from the crofter. It also contained a brief letter for Edla
explaining the peddler’s conduct.
Question 14 : Why was the crofter happy when the peddler knocked on his door?
Answer : The crofter was very lonely and lived alone in a cottage. He did not have a wife or a child. He felt happy when the
peddler knocked on his door as he thought that the peddler would give him company.
Question 15 : How was the crofter ‘generous with his confidences’ when he spoke to the peddler?
Answer : The crofter was generous with his confidences when he spoke to the peddler as he told him that his cow was his
source of income. Moreover, he also informed him that last month he had received 30 kronors by selling the cow’s milk and
even showed him his money.
Question 16 : What did the peddler do to keep his body and soul together?
Answer : The peddler used to sell rattraps which he made himself by using the material he got by begging at the stores or
farms. As his business of selling rattraps was not profitable, he also resorted to begging and thievery to keep his body and soul
together.
Question 17 : Why did the stranger not tell the ironmaster that he was Nils Olof?
Answer : The peddler did not deny being Nils Olof, an old regimental comrade of the ironmaster. He thought that being the
ironmaster’s old acquaintance might get him a few kroners from him.
Question 18 : Why did the peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster?
Answer : The peddler declined the invitation of the ironmaster because he was carrying the money he had stolen from the
crofter. He knew that if the ironmaster discovered his identity, he would hand him over to the police.
Question 19 : Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mills? Why did he visit the mills at night?
Answer : The owner of the Ramsjo iron mills was an ex-army man and an ambitious and prominent ironmaster. He was very
particular about the quality of his products, and visited the mills even at night to make sure that good iron was shipped out
from his mills.
Question 20 : How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to the furnace?

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Answer : When the ironmaster saw a stranger in rags lying close to the furnace, he went near him and removed his slouch hat
to get a better view of his face. He mistook him to be Nils Olof, an old acquaintance of his regiment and was delighted to see
him and invited him home for Christmas.
Question 21 : Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer : The old crofter was lonely and lead a dreary existence as he had no wife or children. He was talkative and friendly
with the peddler as he got someone to talk to and share his thoughts.
Question 22 : Why was the peddler surprised when he knocked on the door of the cottage?
Answer : At the crofter’s cottage, the peddler was welcomed warmly. The peddler had never been treated kindly by the world.
He was meted out cold treatment wherever he went. So, he was pleasantly surprised when the crofter greeted him with warmth.
Question 23 : Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage? How did he feel?
Answer : After stealing the money from the crofter, the peddler was cautious to avoid the public highway lest he be identified
and caught. So, he got into the woods but as it was a big and confusing forest, he got lost in it. That’s when he thought that he
has become a victim of rattrap.
Question 24 : Did the stranger agree to go to the ironmaster’s house? Why or why not?
Answer : The stranger declined the ironmaster’s invitation to come to his house. He had stolen thirty kronors and thought it
was like going into the lion’s den as he might get caught.
Question 25 : Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Answer : Edla felt very dejected when she came to know about the theft of the crofter’s money by the peddler, but the gift left
behind, which consisted of a small rattrap and three wrinkled ten kronor notes, restored her faith in him. She felt happy
because of her trust in him had been justified.
Question 26 : “Edla sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual.” Which two reasons forced her to behave
in that manner?
Answer : Edla had shown kindness to the peddler even after knowing that he was not a captain. This was the reason why she
felt all the more dejected. The other reason is that the peddler had disproved the faith which she had shown in him.
Question 27 : Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain won Stahle?
Answer : Edla had honoured and treated the peddler like a captain inspite of knowing the truth. His signing himself as Captain
von Stahle shows that he wanted to retain the dignity and respect accorded to him.
Question 28 : Why did the peddler accept Edla’s invitation? How did he feel?
Answer : The peddler was moved by the compassion and courtesy shown by Edla. She requested him in such a friendly
manner that he felt confidence in her. The peddler felt very assured and agreed to go at once with Edla.

Long Answer Type Questions : (120 – 150 Words)

Question 1 : The peddler believed that the whole world is a rattrap. How did he himself get caught in the same?
Answer : The peddler in the story ‘The Rattrap’ believed very strongly that this world was a big rattrap. It offered comforts
and joys just like the rattrap offered food to a rat. As soon as a rat was tempted to touch the bait, it trapped him. In the same
way the food, joys and shelter served as baits to tempt people and get trapped thereafter in this world.
But one day he himself was caught in such a trap. One day when he sought refuge at a crofter’s house, he was treated very
nicely by the old man. The old crofter showed him the money also which he had earned. All the crofter’s hospitality served as
a bait for the peddler as, the next morning, he stole the money and fled into the forest. He got lost there. So the forest was a big
rattrap into which he had fallen.

Question 2 : The peddler thinks that the whole world is a rattrap. This view of life is true only of himself and no one
else in the story. Comment.
Answer : This view of life was true for the peddler because, when he was offered food and shelter at the crofter’s house,
which is like ‘bait’ for a rat, he took it and stole the crofter’s money. He tried to run away from being caught but got lost in the
forest as it was big and confusing. Thus, he considered the world as a big rattrap in which he had fallen and the crofter’s
money was the bait. Even the kindness of the ironmaster and his daughter did not make him optimistic about the world.
The other characters in the story, the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter, are having human bonds of love, and so for them
the world is not a rattrap. However, the peddler was lonely and thus felt that the world was a rattrap.

Question 3 : To be grateful is a great virtue of a gentleman. How did the peddler show his gratitude to Edla?
Answer : Edla knew that her father was mistaken when he invited the peddler home thinking he was his long lost friend. Later
it was revealed that he was a complete stranger and not her father’s acquaintance. Despite this Edla begged her father not to
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send him away on Christmas eve. She invited him home and gave him food, shelter and clothes. Her kindness, compassion and
sympathy bring out the goodness in the peddler. He leaves a packet for her as a Christmas gift which contains a rattrap and
three ten kronor notes stolen from the crofter. It also contains a letter in which he signs himself as captain and requests her to
return the stolen money to the crofter. This way the peddler showed his gratitude to Edla and Edla’s care and concern changes
the peddler into a dignified gentleman.
Question 4 : The peddler declined the invitation of the ironmaster but accepted one from Edla. Why?
Answer : As the peddler had recently stolen the crofter’s money, he felt that the police would be on the lookout for him. If he
accepted the ironmaster’s invitation to stay for a night at his home, he would probably have been found as a fake by the
ironmaster, who had mistaken him to be his former colleague in the dim light of the furnace. Then he would have been
arrested. So, he declined the ironmaster’s invitation.
But when Edla later on came to invite him again she was very kind to him and even though he did not look like her father’s
former colleague to her, she spoke to him with compassion. She even told him that he can leave whenever he wished to. This
gave confidence to the peddler that he would be safe in their house and so he accepted her invitation.

Question 5 : Edla proved to be much more persuasive than her father while dealing with the peddler. Comment.
Answer : Edla was more persuasive than her father, the ironmaster, because of her gentle compassionate behaviour towards
the peddler and the kind manner in which she spoke. She even told him that he can leave whenever he wished to. This
convinced the peddler to change his mind and accept her invitation to spend one evening with them. Although she had her
misgivings about the peddler, she was happy to help a poor homeless man who had earlier been chased away by all. She
wanted him to spend a day in peace and take part in the festivities of Christmas. She had been kind and friendly to him,
sympathising with his condition, making him part of their family for a day. This act of kindness made the peddler change his
ways and he left them with a Christmas present for Edla and also returned the money he had stolen from the crofter.
Question 6 : Why did the crofter repose confidence in the peddler? How did peddler betray that and with what
consequence?
Answer : The crofter reposed confidence in the peddler because he was lonely and wanted someone with whom he could share
his feelings. He trusted the peddler to the extent of showing him where he had kept his money.
The peddler betrayed this trust by robbing the money and running away. However, when the peddler went through the forest
instead of the road to avoid being caught, he got lost and returned to the same place again and again. Ultimately the peddler
realised that he was like a rat caught in the rattrap. The bait he had fallen for was the crofter’s money and he could not escape
with it. Thus, the consequences of falling for the bait were that he was trapped in the forest with no way out.

Question 7 : How did the peddler feel after robbing the crofter? What course did he adopt and how did he react to the
new situation? What does this reaction reveal?
Answer : The crofter had treated the peddler with hospitality, and had even reposed his trust in the poor peddler. Still the
peddler robbed him and was quite pleased with his smartness. However, the fear of getting caught haunted him. So, he avoided
the public highway and turned into the woods. It as a big and confusing forest, and due to the approaching darkness, the
peddler lost his way. He got exhausted moving around the same place, and was filled with despair. He began to feel that the
forest was like a big rattrap and the thirty kronor he had stolen were like a bait set to tempt him.
His reaction reveals that he was feeling guilty for having stolen the crofter’s money. His heart was filled with remorse and self-
loathing for his act of weakness. However, his thoughts are perhaps also a way of justifying his crime.

Question 8 : How does the peddler respond to the hospitality shown to him by the crofter?
Answer : One dark evening when the peddler was walking along the road he knocked on the door of a cottage to seek shelter
for the night. To his surprise, he was welcomed by an old man, the crofter, who lived alone in the cottage. The lonely crofter
was happy to find a man with whom he could talk to. He served the peddler supper, gave him tobacco and played a game of
cards with him. The old crofter then went to the window and took down a leather pouch. He showed three then kronor note to
the peddler and put them back. This provided a big bait for the peddler who was tempted to steal the notes. The peddler
unwillingly allowed himself to be tempted to touch the bait. He stole the money and thus committed a breach of trust. So he
betrayed the confidence reposed in him by his host and realised that he was himself caught in a rattrap.
Question 9 : Given his temperament, Edla’s father would have failed in reforming the peddler. How did Edla succeed?
Answer : Unlike her father, Edla was a compassionate, sympathetic and understanding girl and because of these virtues she
succeeded in reforming the peddler. The ironmaster, on the other hand, is impulsive and whimsical. He invites the stranger to
his house without confirming the latter’s identity and as soon as the peddler’s true identity is revealed he decided to refer the
whole matter to the sheriff. But Edla continued to be nice and hospitable to him and did not turn him out of their house on
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Christmas Eve. She treated the peddler like a real captain and he too behaved like one. She thus awakened the potential
goodness of his heart and before leaving the manor house he left behind a rattrap as a Christmas gift for Edla and they money
he had stolen from the crofter’s cottage along with a letter in which he confessed his crime and requested Edla to return the
thirty kronors to the old crofter.
Question 10 : Describe the peddler’s interaction with the ironmaster’s daughter. To what extent was he influenced by
her?
Answer : The peddler first meets Edla Willmansson, the ironmaster’s daughter when on her father’s insistence, she comes to
invite the peddler to their manor house for Christmas. He was so touched by the sincerity in her voice that he could not refuse
her invitation. Later, she comes to know of the peddler’s real identity but it does not change her warmth, friendliness and
hospitality towards him. She continues to treat him like a captain and the peddler quite spontaneously, starts behaving like a
real captain. He leaves a rattrap as a Christmas gift for Edla and encloses a letter of thanks and a note of confession in it. He
also leaves behind the stolen money to be restored to its rightful owner, the crofter, thus redeeming himself from his dishonest
ways. Edla Willmansson’s sympathy, compassion and understanding gave the peddler an opportunity to redeem and reform
himself.
Question 11 : Describe the crofter’s interaction with the peddler. How did the latter get tempted?
Answer : When the peddler knocked on the door of the crofter’s cottage he was greeted by the lonely old man who was just
too happy to see someone to talk to. He served the peddler with extreme hospitality and even played cards with him. He also
shared his confidence with the peddler by telling him that he had been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks during his days of
prosperity and now his cow supported him. He also told him that last month he had received thirty kronors in payment for the
cow milk he had sold. He even showed the peddler the leather pouch on the window where he had kept the thirty kronors thus
tempting the peddler. The next day the peddler after leaving the crofter’s cottage came back there again, smashed the window
pane, stuck in his hand and got hold of the pouch that contained the thirty kronors. Then hanging the leather pouch back very
carefully, he went away.
Question 12 : ‘The Rattrap’, highlights the impact of compassion and understanding on the hidden goodness in human
beings. Substantiate with evidence from the story.
Answer : The theme of the story ‘The Rattrap’ is that most human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefit.
However, love and understanding can transform a person and bring out his essential human goodness. The peddler had been
treated very cruelly by the world. So even though the old crofter was kind and hospitable to him, he betrayed his trust and stole
thirty kronors from him. He was not impressed by the ironmaster’s invitation. But Edla Willmansson’s compassion and
understanding brought out a transformation in his nature. Her human qualities helped in raising him to be gentleman. He was
easily able to overcome petty temptations. The peddler who always considered the whole world to be a rattrap finally felt
released from this rattrap due to the sympathetic, kind and generous treatment of Edla that was able to bring out his basic
human goodness.
Question 13 : How are the attitudes of the ironmaster and his daughter different? Support your answer from the text.
Answer : The character of the ironmaster was very different from that of his daughter. He was an ambitious and arrogant man.
When he saw the peddler, he mistook him for his old regimental comrade, and invited him for home, but this was more out of
his sense of pride than out of Sympathy or generosity.
When the ironmaster realised that he had been mistaken, he called the peddler dishonest and threatened to call the sheriff. Later
when he learnt that the peddler was a thief, he was worried about his own silverware.

On the other hand, Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, was a kind and compassionate lady who was really sympathetic and
considerate towards the peddler right from the beginning. She treated him with respect and dignity even after knowing that he
was not a captain. It was her generous attitude which finally changed the peddler, bringing out essential goodness of his nature.

Question 14 : The story, ‘The Rattrap’ is both entertaining and philosophical. Do you agree with this statement? Why?
Why not?
Answer : The story, ‘The Rattrap’ is indeed, both entertaining and philosophical. The fast-paced narrative in the third person,
generous use of dialogue by the author and different characters belonging to different mindsets and locales make the story
interesting and entertaining. Besides, the author has managed to keep up the suspense till the end.
The incident in the forge, with the ironmaster coming at midnight, hold our attention. The peddler’s continuous refusals to the
ironmaster to accompany him, but his accepting Edla’s invitation in one go, the ironmaster’s realisation of his mistake, and
Edla’s sympathy and generosity, all make the story quite gripping.

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While all the above events make the story interesting, there is also an element of philosophy in the story. Somewhere, the
peddler’s theory of the world being a rattrap is true. One feel caught up like a rat in the entrappings of the world. Some people
fall into this trap never to come out of it again. The story teaches us that, as human beings, we are not above temptations.

Question 15 : The story focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. Explain.
Answer : All the characters in the story suffer from loneliness and are dull souls. First of all, the tramp appears to lead a sad,
monotonous existence, left to his own thinking. He is always greeted by sour faces and cold words. The old crofter’s fate has
been somewhat kinder to him. Bereft of his wife and children, he lives all alone in a cottage by the roadside, and is rather
happy to have visitors around. We also have the ironmaster and his daughter, Edla, who have no company for Christmas as the
ironmaster’s wife is dead and his sons are settled abroad.
He, with his daughter, are happy to play hosts for his friend. Thus, all of them are having a strong desire for bonding and
comradeship. The crofter is happy to be friends with the peddler, although only for a night. It is the bonding with the
ironmaster’s daughter that transforms the peddler. The love, understanding and dignity that he gets from the girl makes him
leave his dishonest ways and redeem himself.

Question 16 : Why did the ironmaster’s invitation to the peddler to spend Christmas Eve with him make him think that
he was going to fall into a trap?
Answer : The peddler did not think very kindly of the world and its people. For him the world was a big rattrap which trapped
people. The world has been rather unkind to him, so he felt happy to think ill about it. He felt the riches and joys were just
baits to tempt people and once one was tempted to touch the bait, the rattrap closed on him. The ironmaster’s invitation to the
peddler to spend Christmas Eve with him was like a trap. He felt he was being trapped into the lion’s den. The peddler was
aware that the ironmaster had mistaken him for an old acquaintance and so he had invited him to his house on Christmas Eve.
He thought that he would easily get caught with the stolen money if he stayed at the ironmaster’s house.

Value Based Questions (120-150 Words)

Question 1 : There is a saying “Kindness pays, rudeness never.” In the story, ‘The Rattrap’ Edla’s attitude towards
men and matters is different from her father’s attitude. How are the values of concern and compassion brought out in
the story, ‘The Rattrap’?
Answer : ‘The Rattrap’ is a story of a peddler who used to earn his living by selling small rattraps made of wire. Since his
business was not profitable, he resorted to begging and petty thievery. Nobody treated him with kindness and respect. The first
act of compassion towards him was shown by the crofter who gave him shelter. But the peddler stole his money and ran away.
Later, he was invited to stay for Christmas at the ironmaster’s house due to the persuasion of the daughter of the ironmaster.
She not only requested her father to let the peddler stay for Christmas, but also treated him like a real captain. The peddler was
highly touched by this act of compassion and before leaving the house, left the money he had stolen from the crofter. This
shows that goodness is latent in the human heart which can be brought out by concern and compassion.

Question 2 : Every human being is endowed with some positive characteristic or beauty of heart, and that comes out
automatically when the time comes. Similarly, both the tramp and the daughter exchange the beauty of their hearts at
the right time. How?
Answer : During his stay at the house of the ironmaster, the peddler had an opportunity to steal the Christmas gifts and other
silver articles but he stole nothing. Rather, he presented a Christmas gift to the ironmaster’s daughter on Christmas.
Although the ironmaster never wanted the tramp to stay at his house, his daughter, Edla, was compassionate and wanted him to
stay. She realised his misery and loneliness and wanted him to have some peace and happniess on Christmas eve. The peddler
was so touched by her behaviour that he could no more practice his deceiving ways which had become so much a part of him.
He not only returned the stolen money but also left a small rattrap as a gift for Edla. Thus, the peddlar displayed the beauty of
his heart by presenting a gift to the ironmaster’s daughter while she displayed it by giving shelter to the peddler.

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 INDIGO
Question 1 : Why did Gandhiji oppose CF Andrews helping him in Champaran?
Answer : Gandhiji was opposed to his friend. CF Andrews, helping him in Champaran as he thought that his cause was just
and urged his lawyer friends to rely on themselves. He also considered taking help from an Englishman a weakness.

Question 2 : Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of mere 25%?

Answer : Gandhiji agreed to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers in order to break the deadlock between the landlords
and peasants. The fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender a part of their prestige with the money gave a moral
victory to the farmers.

Question 3 : How did Rajkumar Shukla establish that he was resolute?

Answer : Rajkumar Shukla established himself as a resolute man by going along with Gandhiji wherever he went until
Gandhiji agreed to go to Champaran with him to solve the problems of the peasants there.

Question 4 : How was Gandhiji treated at Rajendra Prasad’s house?

Answer : The servants at Rajendra Prasad’s house took Gandhiji to be another untouchable person. So, he was not allowed to
draw water from the well lest some drops from his bucket pollute the entire source of water.

Question 5 : What were the terms of the indigo contract between the British landlords and the Indian peasants?
Answer : The British landlords had entered into a long-term contract with the farmers according to which they compelled
them to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo and the farmers had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.

Question 6 : Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to court was useless?
Answer : Gandhiji got the details of the case and came to the conclusion that taking such a case to the court would do little
good. He also felt that as the peasants were fear-stricken, the real relief would be to make them fearless.

Question 7 : How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma had come to help them?
Answer : A large number of peasants from Champaran came to Muzaffarpur when they came to know that a Mahatma
(Gandhiji) had come to help them. They came by foot and by conveyance to meet their champion.

Question 8 : What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji?
Answer : When Gandhiji appeared in the court at Motihari, thousands of peasants held a demonstration. The officials felt
helpless and the trial was postponed, and Gandhiji was released without bail. At this the Lieutenant Governor dropped the case
against Gandhiji.

Question 9 : What made Gandhiji demand 50% refund from the British landlords?
Answer : Gandhiji demanded 50% refund of the money collected from the peasants by the landlords as he had a lot of
evidence against the landlords. He also wanted to break the deadlock between the peasants and landlords.

Question 10 : While at Champaran how did Gandhiji keep a long distance watch on his ashram?
Answer : Gandhiji kept a long distance watch on his ashram by sending regular instructions by mail. This way he asked for the
financial accounts of the ashram and gave instructions to the concerned persons there.

Question 11 : How were Shukla and Gandhiji received in Rajendra Prasad’s house?
Answer : The servants at Rajendra Prasad’s house knew Shukla as he used to come there to meet Rajendra Prasad. However,
they thought that Gandhiji was just another untouchable peasant and hence did not allow him to draw water from the well.

Question 12 : “The battle of Champaran is won!” When and why did Gandhiji exclaim this?
Answer : The lawyers first decided to return home if Gandhiji was arrested. But when they declared that they would fight for
the peasants’ cause in the event of Gandhiji’s arrest and volunteered to court arrest, Gandhiji exclaimed, “The battle of
Champaran is won!”

Question 13 : Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur before going to Champaran?

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Answer : Rajkumar Shulka had given a lot of information to Gandhiji about the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. However,
Gandhiji visited Muzaffarpur to inquire from the lawyers about the issue, as they frequently represented the sharecroppers in
the court.

Question 14 : Why do you think Gandhiji considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life?
Answer : The Champaran episode began as an attempt to reduce the distress of poor peasants. It proved to be a turning point in
Gandhiji’s life because it was a loud proclamation that made the British realize that he could not be ordered about in his own
country.

Question 15 : Why did the servants think Gandhiji to be another peasant?

Answer : The servants knew that Rajkumar Shukla was a poor farmer who pestered their master, Rajendra Prasad to help the
indigo sharecroppers. Since Gandhiji accompanied Shukla and was dressed simply, they mistook him to be a peasant.

Question 16 : How did Gandhiji help the peasants of Champaran?

Answer : Gandhiji helped the peasants of Champaran by fighting with the British authorities and getting their land and money
back. He also opened primary schools and arranged doctors for them.

Question 17 : How was Gandhiji able to influence the lawyers at Champaran?

Answer : Gandhiji’s sincerity towards the peasants’ cause and convincing arguments and negotiations, thoroughly influenced
the lawyers. He criticized them for overcharging the peasants and encouraged them to court arrest for the peasants’ noble
cause.
Question 18 : Why did Rajkumar Shukla want to take Gandhiji to Champaran?
Answer : Rajkumar Shukla wanted to take Gandhiji to Champaran to see the injustice caused to the peasants of Champaran
due to the landlord system in Bihar. He wanted Gandhiji to solve the issues faced by the peasants.

Question 19 : How did Shukla succeed in persuading Gandhiji to visit Champaran?

Answer : Shukla wanted to take Gandhiji to Champaran to see the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar. As Gandhiji had a
few meetings scheduled in various cities, he followed Gandhiji everywhere till Gandhiji was impressed by his tenacity and
fixed a date to visit Champaran.

Long Answer Type Questions (120 – 150 Words)

Question 1 : What did Gandhiji do to remove the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages?
Answer : After the Champaran battle was won and the land given back to the peasants, Gandhiji continued to stay there as he
saw the cultural and social backwardness of the people of Champaran and wanted to do something about it immediately. His
loyalty was, indeed, to living human beings and he took the initiative and began the work of eradicating their cultural and
social backwardness. Primary schools were started so that the poor peasants and their children could be educated. Gandhiji
appealed to teachers, and many of his disciples, including his wife and son, volunteer for the work.
Health conditions in the area were so miserable. Gandhiji got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. All this goes to
prove that Gandhiji’s loyalty was not to abstractions, but his politics was always intertwined with the practical say to day
problems of the millions.

Question 2 : The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhiji’s life. Elucidate.
Answer : Gandhiji himself accepted the proposition that Champaran episode was a turning point in his life. It was then that he
decided to urge the departure of the British from India.
In fact, the Champaran episode was the first experiment of Civil Disobedience in India. When Gandhiji was on his way to
Champaran, he stayed in Muzaffarpur, where he met the lawyers who were fighting cases for the sharecroppers. The peasants
were so crushed and fear-stricken that Gandhiji concluded that law courts were useless. the real relief for them was to be free
from fear. The spontaneous demonstration by the peasants when Gandhiji was produced in court showed that they were
instilled with a new strength and spirit. Gandhiji showed the poor peasants how to fight the British with satyagraha. He made
them aware of their powers and the power of ahimsa. He fought for the peasants’ concerns and stayed there (in Champaran) to
help them. This episode laid the foundation of his future movements and served as a great source of strength and motivation
for all Indians.

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Question 3 : Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for independence?
Answer : The Champaran episode was one of the major events in the struggle for independence. It was in the course of this
small but significant movement that Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of the British from India.
A close examination of the problems of the Champaran peasants opened Gandhiji’s eyes to the unjust policies of the British.
He realized that people had to be made free from fear and only then could they be freed from foreign oppression. The
spontaneous demonstration of the people proved that Gandhiji had the nation’s support in his fight against the Britishers. It
also aroused patriotism in the heart of the Indians.
The triumph of the civil disobedience at Champaran motivated the launching of the movement on a large scale during the
freedom struggle. Gandhiji’s winning the case of the sharecroppers proved that the British authority could be challenged.
Hence, the Champaran episode served as a stepping stone to the Indian struggle for independence.

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

Question 5 : Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers? How did it influence the peasant-
landlord relationship in Champaran?
Answer : Under an ancient arrangement, the peasants of Champaran were sharecroppers. The landlords forced the Indian
tenants to plant 15% of their land with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.
After Germany developed synthetic indigo, the landlords wanted to dissolve the agreement, as synthetic indigo would be
cheaper. They asked the peasants for compensation to release them from this arrangement. Most of them signed it willingly,
but felt cheated after they learned about the synthetic indigo.

Gandhiji fought their case and the evidence he collected was so overwhelming that the landlords were asked to repay. When
Gandhiji asked for 50% repayment, the landlords offered to pay only 25% as they wanted to create a deadlock, and thus
prolong the dispute. To everybody’s surprise, Gandhiji agreed to a refund of only 25%. Gandhiji explained that the amount of
refund was not important. What mattered was that the landlords were obliged to surrender a part of their money and with it,
part of their prestige. He also wanted to end the deadlock between the peasants and the landlords.

Question 6 : Give an account of Gandhiji’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran.
Answer : In the course of his journey to Champarn with Rajkumar Shukla, Gandhiji stayed at Muzaffarpur where he met the
lawyers and concluded that fighting through courts was not going to solve the problem of the poor sharecroppers of
Champaran. He declared that the real relief for them was to be free from fear. With this intention, he arrived in Champaran and
contacted the Secretary of the British Landlord’s Association. The Secretary refused to provide any information to him. After
this, Gandhiji met the Commissioner of the Tirhut division who served a notice on him to immediately leave Tirhut.
Gandhiji accepted the notice by signing it and wrote on it that he would not obey the order. He was even willing to court arrest
for the cause of the peasant. After four rounds of talks with the Governor, an official commission of inquiry was appointed in
which Gandhiji was made the sole representative of the peasants.

Through this commission, Gandhiji succeeded in getting 25% of the compensation award for the poor sharecropper from the
British landowners.

Question 7 : Why did Rajkumar Shukla invite Gandhiji to Champaran? How did Gandhiji solve the problem of the
indigo farmers?
Answer : Rajkumar Shukla who was an illiterate and oppressed indigo farmer from Champaran, invited Gandhiji to visit his
district so that he could solve the problems faced by the miserable peasants.
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Gandhiji’s truthfulness, sincerity of purpose and fearless efforts enabled him to solve the problem of the indigo farmers. He
began by trying to get the facts. The British landlords as well as Commissioner of Tirhut were non-cooperative and did not
entertain Gandhiji. Lawyers from the Muzaffarpur briefed him about court cases of these peasants.

Gandhiji and lawyers collected depositions by about ten thousand peasants. Notes were made on other evidence. Documents
were collected. The whole area throbbed with the activities of the investigators and forceful protests of landlords.

The Lieutenant Governor summoned Gandhiji. After four long interviews between Gandhiji and Lieutenant Governor, an
official commission of inquiry was appointed to look into the indigo sharecroppers’ situation. Gandhiji was the sole
representative of the peasants. The official inquiry assembled huge quantity of evidence against the big planters. After
negotiation a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers was agreed on. This was a moral victory for the peasants. They
recognized their rights and learned courage.

Question 8 : How did Gandhiji use satyagraha and non-violence at Champaran to achieve his goal?
Answer : Gandhiji reached Champaran with a goal to alleviate the peasants’ sufferings at the hands of the British landlords.
He met the Secretary of the Landlords’ Association and the Commissioner who told him to leave Champaran. He signed the
order but also wrote that he would disobey it and sent a full report to the Viceroy. This was followed by spontaneous
demonstrations by thousands of peasants around the court house. The lawyers too resolved to follow Gandhiji to jail forcing
the case against him to be dropped. This was the first victory of Civil Disobedience. Then an official enquiry into the indigo
sharecropper situation was instituted and the landlords agreed to refund the peasants. Gandhiji accepted the 25% refund. The
landlords surrendered part of their prestige with the money. So, Gandhiji achieved the objective of removing the fear from the
minds of the poor peasants and getting justice for them through satyagraha and non-violence.

Value Based Type Questions : (120 – 150 Words)

Question 1 : Exploitation is a universal phenomenon. The poor indigo farmers were exploited by the British landlords
to which Gandhiji objected. Even after our independence we find exploitation of unorganised labour. What values do
we learn from Gandhiji’s campaign to counter the present-day problems of exploitation?
Answer : Gandhiji’s campaign in Champaran is relevant even in the present day to counter the problems of exploitation. What
we must keep in mind is to teach the oppressed to be courageous. Unless they overcome the fear within them, they will never
be able to fight for their rights. Therefore, priority has to be given to empowering and making the labour class bold and fearless
and to give them the courage to oppose injustice and exploitation. Another thing we must remember is to focus not on the
problems but on the solution of the problems. We must possess a humanitarian approach and should be ready to brave
hardships with non-violence, patience and perseverance. Only then can we overcome the present-day problems of exploitation.

Question 2 : Our scriptures tell us that determination and perseverance are cardinal virtues of a good human being.
Rajkumar Shukla succeeded in taking Gandhiji to Champaran with the help of these two. How can young students
today use these two qualities to make successful careers for themselves?
Answer : Determination is your decision to do something against all odds. Perseverance is to keep doing something for the
time needed to achieve your goal no matter how long or difficult the path is. No wonder these two qualities should be the
mantra for young students to make a successful career for themselves. If there is one quality, one personality trait that is most
correlated with success, it is the trait of persistence – the ability to endure till the end. With a little more perseverance, what
once seemed a hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. Determination and perseverance give us hope that the righteous
suffer no other failure except that of giving up and no longer trying.

Question 3 : “Several days later, Gandhiji received a written communication from the magistrate informing him that
the Lieutenant Governor of the province had ordered the case to be dropped. Civil Disobedience had triumphed, the
first time in modern India.”
Since our childhood we are taught not to indulge in disobedience to anyone. But Gandhiji did not and finally, Civil
Disobedience won.
After reading ‘Indigo’ and the above statement, how can we display disobedience occasionally and succeed? Explain.
Answer : Disobedience is usually not considered a characteristic of desirable behaviour. Here, in this chapter, we see someone
as great as Gandhiji indulge in disobedience, and still achieve success. However, Gandhiji practiced disobedience against the
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unjust rules laid down by the Britishers. He waged a ‘peaceful war’ against the Britishers by the method of Civil Disobedience.
Disobedience is not permitted in society. However, if we are fighting for a noble cause, it does not matter if we are
disobedient. If our disobedience can solve the problems of innocent sufferers, we may need to be disobedient sometimes.
A child should normally be obedient to his elders, but when they are exploiting him, then he has to be disobedient. This
disobedience will be justified because he has a right to raise his voice against exploitation.

Poets and Pancakes- Question and Answers

1. What does the writer mean by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make-up’?
A. By ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make-up, the writer is trying to throw light upon the difficulties actors and
actresses have to face because of half a dozen mirrors surrounded with large light bulbs. The bulbs generated a lot of heat and
were definitely not a pleasure for the eyes.
2. What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
A. At first, a Bengali was the head of the make-up studio but then he outgrew Gemini Studios and left it for better
opportunities. After him, it was supervised by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a
Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and the usual local Tamils. The fact that people from different cultures worked
together puts forward the post-independence national integration scenario. It shows that people were united way before All
India Radio and Doordarshan raised the concept.
3. What work did the ‘office boy’ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he disappointed?
A. The ‘office boy’ had the duty of slapping paints on the faces of players at the time of crowd-shooting. He joined Gemini
Studios with a dream of becoming a first-rate actor, screen-writer or producer.
4. Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?
A. The author’s job was to cut and collect newspaper clippings or sometimes even writing them by hand. This was easier and
lesser in comparison to what others were doing at the Studio.
5. Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?
A. The office boy was frustrated because he thought his literary talent was going wasted in a room full of barbers and make-up
artists. He somehow managed to deviate his anger on Subbu.
6. Who was Subbu’s principal?
A. The Boss, SS Vasan, who was also the founder of Gemini Studios, was Subbu's principal.
7. Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.
A. Subbu, as a man of many qualities, had the ability to look cheerful at all times, was an excellent actor who could portray his
roles in several ways, was an accomplished poet, and loved anyone he met.
8. Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?
A. The legal adviser was referred to as the opposite by others because he once resorted to blackmailing an actress by recording
her while she was throwing tantrums on the set. This is not considered to be legal, thus he was usually called the opposite.
9. What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
A. Gemini Studios was filled with dreamers and creative personnel. A lawyer in between them was the only man with logic.
The writer calls him a ‘neutral’ man.
10. Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?

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A. No, although they dressed up in Khadi, they did not have the slightest political affiliations.
11. Why was the Moral Rearmament Army welcomed at the Studios?
A. Frank Buchman's Moral Re-Armament army was welcomed at the studio mainly because of their political association. The
MRA came as a welcome change to their monotonous days at the studio.
12. Name one example to show that Gemini studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA.
A. Frank Buchman's Moral Rearmament Army staged two plays“Jotham Valley” and The Forgotten Factor” in a most
professional manner. The Gemini family of 600 and the people of Madras city watched them times and again.
13. Who was The Boss of Gemini Studios?
A. SS Vasan was The Boss of Gemini Studios.
14. What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?
A. The British accent of the Englishman caused lack of communication between him and the people at Gemini Studios.
15. Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?
A. 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.
16. Who was the English visitor to the studios?
A. Stephen Spender
17. How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was?
A. Before investing money in participating in a short story contest organized by an English periodical- The Encounter, the
author did research on the magazine. He went to the British Council Library where, while going through an issue of that
periodical, he discovered that its editor was Stephen Spender, the poet that had once visited the studio.
18. What does The God that Failed refer to?
A. The God that Failed refers to a collection of essays by six authors who wrote about their journey into Communism, one of
them being Stephen Spender.
19. The author has used gentle humour to point out human foibles. Pick out instances of this to show how this serves to make
the piece interesting.
A. The author portrays the make-up artists and the usage of the pancakes in an interesting way. Even the caricature of Subbu is
hilarious. The way he tries to help his principal is quite amusing. The episode of the legal adviser that inadvertently causes the
end of an actress’s career is yet another example. The frustration of the office boy, the superficial praising of Gandhi, hatred of
Communism and the ‘mystery’ surrounding Stephen Spender are some of the instances where the author has incorporated
gentle humour.
20. Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios?
A. Kothamangalam Subbu was successful in securing the place closest to The Boss by means of flattery. He was not brilliant
but a rather cheerful person and loyal to The Boss. He offered solutions whenever The Boss was in a fix. Thus, the staff
considered him No.2 in Gemini Studios.
21. How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?
A. The English poet was addressing the Tamil audience at Gemini Studios in English with a typical provincial accent. He was
talking about the thrills and travails of an English poet to a dazed and silent audience. This was the incongruity because his
audience could not understand him at all.
22. What do you understand about the author’s literary inclinations from the account?

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 A. The writer was a prose-writer. He wanted to send a short story for the short story contest organized by a British periodical
by the name 'The Encounter'.

Gemini Studios

Gemini Studios was one of India’s pioneer movie factories. Situated in the present-day Chennai, owned by S.S Vaasan and
worked by over 600 staff, the GS made movies for Tamilnadu and other southern Indian states. Pancake [TM] was the makeup
material used by the GS.

Questions & Answers

1. How was Gemini Studios connected to Robert Clive?
The connection the Gemini Studios had with Robert Clive was that its Make-up Department was built on the upstairs of
Clive’s stables.
2. What was the fiery misery inside the make-up department of the Studios?
The makeup room had a lot of hot bulbs always burning inside and a number of mirrors to reflect the heat. Madras, being a hot
city and no cooling at that time at the studio, it was a real misery inside the makeup room.
3. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration long before A.I.R. and Doordarshan began
broadcasting programs on national integration. Explain.
The heads and the subordinates of the make-up department were from various parts of India. There was no preference to any
state or language or religion. Anyone could be the head. Once there was a Bengali as the head of this department. He was
succeeded by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-
Burmese and the local Tamils.
The Office Boy
Office Boy was a grown-up man in the Makeup Department of the GS. He was in charge of the crowd makeup. He applied
pancake on their faces with the help of a dipped paint brush. Though his job was quite an easy one, the office boy considered
him to be a greatly skilled artist.

Questions & Answers

1. Who was the office boy? What was his duty in the make-up department? How did he appreciate himself and his
profession?
The office boy was a forty-year-old man who worked at the lowest rank among the makeup artists at the Gemini Studios. His
duty was to apply makeup for the crowd-players for shooting. As his work required no skill and that he was not satisfied with
his designation and the kind of work, the ‘Boy’ remained unsatisfied and criticized everyone he was jealous.
Asokamitran
Asokamitran was one of the staff whose job was to collect information such as news events from newspapers and magazines
and to paste them in files. The other staff considered his job out of place and most of them thought so high of themselves. Here
are some of the interesting staffs of GS.

Questions & Answers

1. How was the author’s job odd in the eyes of the other staff? How did they respond to this?
Asokamitran’s job at the Gemini Studios was to collect information from newspapers and magazines and to paste the cuttings
in files for reference. This was probably the only work odd in the Gemini Studios while every other staff was some sort of an
artist. They therefore advised the author to do some better jobs other than wasting his time cutting papers in a department
similar to a barber shop.
2. Why did the author pray for crowd shooting?
Like many of the other staff who believed that Asokamitran was doing next to nothing in the Gemini Studios the Office Boy
too used to advise him for hours. When the author was tired of his unending epics, he used to pray for a crowd shooting to
which the Office Boy assigned.
Kothamangalam Subbu
Kothamangalam Subbu was another clerk. He was not as educated, as fortunate and as supported by as the Office Boy, yet he
reached the top of the GS. He was a man of amazing genius. He was able to direct the directors. He suggested dozens of ways
to shoot a certain scene when the director failed to find one. He acted better than the heroes. He wrote incredible poems.

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 Though he was able to write more complicated ones that could raise him to the status of a great poet, Subbu preferred writing
them in simple Tamil to enlighten the majority of Tamil people. Besides, he supported his far and near relatives. But he had
only enemies everywhere because he was very much close to the boss, Vaasan.

Questions & Answers

1. Who was Kothamangalam Subbu? How did he make all the other staff hate him?
Kothamangalam Subbu joined the Gemini Studios as a clerk and remained the same in the records. But in practice he soon
acquired the status of the No.2 at the studios thanks to his amazing genius and multifaceted skills. He did any work for his boss
and ignored the rest above him. This made him envied and hated by the rest of the staff.
2. Discuss Subbu’s identity as a poet. Why was he not known as a poet?
Apart from being an amazing director of movies, Subbu had the identity as a poet. The world of his time and later never
recognized Subbu as a poet yet he was a great unknown poet. He wrote poem in the simplest Tamil language and was able to
recreate the classical poems in his own style.
3. Subbu excelled as an actor too. Discuss.
Subbu was a good actor. He was able to act better than the lead actors yet never wished to take any lead roles in any movie.
4. In spite of all the good qualities and readiness to be a host any time, Subbu had only enemies. Why?
Subbu was good to everyone he came by, spoke in his niceness, fed his relatives, excelled everyone in the Gemini Studios but
was hated by most of them just because he was so close to the boss of the studios. Being a clerk in the attendance register he
was above all and above all the departments. Those who bore designations above Subbu felt it intolerable to obey him.
Legal Advisor
The legal advisor worked in the Story Department. He was a lawyer and provided legal advices to the writers yet he was
known as the illegal advisor. The following incident is one reason that gave him that name. Once a shooting was under
progress. The heroine, a highly emotional girl, got angry with the director and producer. While the whole set stood stunned at
this, the legal advisor recorded her voice without her permission and made her listen to the playback, thus resulting the end of a
rising actress.

Questions & Answers

1. How did the legal advisor behave illegally in the instance of the actress.
The legal advisor was, of course, an advocate, yet was known as an illegal advisor. Once he recorded the voice of an actress
who shouted at the producer and director while in the shooting sets. The legal advisor’s behavior turned out to be illegal
because he did it without the actress’ permission.
2. In what context did Congress rule mean Prohibition and how was it for the staff of Gemini Studios meeting over a cup
of coffee a rather satisfying entertainment?
Congress being the ruling party, made the public’s life horrible by imposing curfew and emergency in the initial years of
Independent India. Citizens were not allowed to gather and hold meetings. While the whole of the nations struggled under
emergencies, the six hundred Gemini staff enjoyed freedom inside the studios as their freedom was not restricted.
3. How did Subbu surpass the office boy despite his limitations?
The office boy in the makeup department was always ahead of Subbu in the beginning, especially in education, having
influential people to support. But he ended up where he began while Subbu ascended the steps to the maximum height and
surpassed the Boy.
4. The staff of the Gemini Studios attributed Subbu’s success to his being a Brahmin. Why?
Most of the staff of the Gemini studios was unhappy with Subbu. His amazing influence on the Boss and the consequent
privileges he enjoyed made them feel jealous of him. So, instead of accepting his talents, they consoled themselves by
attributing his fortunes to be a Brahmin.
Poets and writers
Gemini Studios had some great poets like Harindranath Chatopadhyaya and a few others. Most of the insignificant poets
considered so great of themselves. They had no great talent, no great creativity, no political views yet they assumed the airs of
the greatest poets, wasting Vaasan’s money and time. They believed Gandhiji to be the last word of politics and had developed
an aversion to Communism.

Questions & Answers

1. How was the Gemini Studios a perfect place of nationally integrated Indians?
Situated in Tamilnadu’s capital Madras, the Gemini Studios was an amazement for a number of reasons, one of them being the
selection of its department heads and other staff from all over India. For instance, the makeup department was for some time
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 headed by a Bengali though he was later removed from the post. His follower in the department was from Maharashtra and his
assistant was Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo Burmese and even the usual Tamilians. The
presence of any talented person from any part of India shows that Gemini Studios was a perfect example of unity.
2. How are poets and prose writers different according to Asokamitran? What personal experience makes him say that?
Asokamitran believes in the qualitative difference between prose writers and poem writers. A poem can be written in no time if
the poet is a genius while prose such as a novel can be written by a person who has a lot of patience and perseverance. The
prose writer’s mind should be so shrunken that no rejection can disappoint him but he will be encouraged from failures and
rejections.
Communism and MRA

Communism was a new political order that was spreading throughout the world, especially in Asian countries. Communism
preached equality of people and abolition of poverty and class divisions while it discouraged private ownership. But
Communism won a negative impression due the Capitalist countries such as America.

MRA or Moral Rearmament Army was an international team of actors and actresses that spread anti Communist feelings
throughout the world. The MRA came to Chennai and saw how influential was Gemini Studios in the south of India. The team
got permission from Vaasan to stage their plays. Vaasan was only happy to give them permission because he hoped that his
staff would get inspiration from the international team. But little did Vaasan know of their intentions. MRA staged their plays
with hidden anticommunist messages and went away and it was yet after some time that Vaasan realized that he had been
fooled.

Questions & Answers

1. What is Communism? What ideas about the communism gathered popularity in India?
Communism is a political order that believes in the equality of citizens and abolition of private ownership. The state or nation
is the owner and caretaker of each citizen. Citizen’s welfare is nation’s prime concern. It sometimes resorts to armed
revolution to establish social and political equality.
2. What was MRA? Why did it tour the world?
MRA, short for Moral Rearmament Army was an anti-Communist organization that toured the world informing the world of
the evil side of Communism that was spreading throughout Asia and some parts of Europe. Headed by Frank Buchman, the
MRA believed that Communism was evil and it would wipe out democracy in the world.
3. How did the MRA spread its anti-Communist ideas in South India?
Moral Rearmament Army believed that Communism was evil and therefore wanted to wipe it out of the world. This group of
200 men and women from twenty different nations spread anti-communist messages with the help of their stage performances
such as dramas.
4. How was Vasan played into the hands of the MRA?
There is no clear indication that Vasan, the owner of the Gemini Studios, was a Communist or not yet there are very clear hints
that he was a prominent Communist of Chennai. The MRA spread its anti-Communist messages through their stage programs
and made the poets and writers of the South India hate Communism which was a great achievement. Vasan, who knew nothing
of their intentions, was indeed fooled by MRA at his cost.
Stephen Spender
Anyway, Stephen Spender, who was once a prominent communist editor and poet from England, came to the studio and gave
his speech. His lecture was about Communism on one side and about his struggles to establish as a poet on the other. Whatever
he spoke was great, hot, exciting and inspiring, but what use, his accent was such terrible one that none of the Gemini staff
could clearly understand what Spender had spoken. They fell into shame for not being able to understand the poet and wished
not to meet him again.

Questions & Answers

1. Why was Stephen Spender invited to the Gemini Studios? Who wanted him there?
Stephen Spender was a great poet with Communist inclinations. SS Vasan, the owner of the Gemini Studios, wanted Spender
give a speech on the greatness of Communism to his staff.
2. Spender’s Speech was a shock for him and a matter of utter shame for the literati of the Gemini Studios. Explain.
Stephen Spender was specially invited to the Gemini Studios to enlighten the staff there with communist ideas. When Spender
began his speech, he was amazed to see the way he was being listened to. But soon, when he realized that his audience didn’t

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 follow him the least due to his accent, Spender’s amazement turned to utter shock and embarrassment and he stopped his
speech in the middle.
3. How are poets and prose writers different according to Asokamitran? What personal experience makes him say that?
Asokamitran says poems can be written by any genius while prose writing is the true pursuit of a really determined person who
has suffered a lot of rejections and is ready for any further disappointments with more perseverance to pursue his mission of
writing a long prose.
4. Spender’s Speech was a shock for him and a matter of utter shame for the literati of the Gemini Studios?
Stephen Spender was called to the Gemini Studios to talk to the staff there about Communism but what he spoke was of his
struggles as a poet. Whatever he spoke, his talk was not followed by practically anyone. When Spender realized that his
audience didn’t follow his talk, he stopped in utter shame to have made a talk to a deaf audience while the Gemini staff got
dispersed in great humiliation because Spender’s accent failed them.
Crisis

Why should Vaasan be fooled if an organization spread anti-communist messages in Chennai? It appears that Vaasan himself
was a Communist! Or, he too had an experience of a disillusioned abandoning of Communism. The author has not given us a
hint about this and therefore we have to different opinions:

• Vasan as a Communist: If so, Vasan felt terribly bad for being played into the hands of the MRA that left a deep
anticommunist impression upon his staff. He therefore decided to bring back the Communist atmosphere in his studio and for
this he invited a communist poet to deliver a speech on how great Communism was.
• Vasan as an anticommunist: If SS Vasan was an anticommunist; he was the one who invited the MRA to the Gemini Studios.
Later, when he saw that MRA had successfully spread anticommunism among his staff, he wanted to strengthen the new
notions in them by inviting another anticommunist and therefore he invited Spender.
Questions & Answers
1. The Boss of the Gemini Studios may not have much to do with Spender’s poetry. But not with his god that failed.’
Explain.
Stephen Spender was invited to the Gemini Studios to enlighten the staff with great ideals of Communism but what Spender
spoke was about his thrills and struggles to establish himself as a poet. The bosses of the studio like S. S. Vasan were
interested in Spender as a Communist, not as a poet.
2. How did MRA impress the staff of Gemini Studios and the Tamil drama community?
Asokamitran’s meeting Spender.The lesson ends with two incidents in which Asokamitran, our author, met Spender; not face
to face, but in two different ways. While attempting to send his short story to England to participate in a contest, Asokamitran
happened to read The Encounter, a magazine that had Stephen Spender as its editor. On another occasion he happened to read
the book, the God that Failed, an article of which was written by Spender.

Questions & Answers

1. How did the magazine ‘The Encounter’ become important in Asokamitran’s life?
The Encounter was a British Communist magazine. When Stephen Spender was its editor, this magazine organized a short
story competition for writers from all over the world.
2. How does the book, ‘The God That Failed’ deserve its title? OR justify the title, ‘The God That Failed.’
The ‘God That Failed’ was written by six eminent writers who were attracted to Communism and abandoned it because they
hated it later on. Communism was in its beginning, a God because it stood for equality and removal of class systems and
poverty. While the Gods or incarnations before it achieved their goals, Communism failed in attaining its goals as it was a
failure in itself.
3. What made Asokamitran hope Stephen Spender too would be singing the same song at the same time when he sealed
the envelop of his manuscript?
Asokamitran had been struggling to establish as a writer when he came across the magazine, The Encounter. When he saw that
the editor of The Encounter was Stephen Spender, the same poet who came to Gemini Studios and talked about his struggles to
become a poet, Asokamitran felt as if he had found a long-lost brother.
4. ‘In a moment I felt a dark chamber of my mind lit up by a hazy illumination.’ What was the dark chamber? What did
light up the darkness?
Due to Spender’s British accent the normally educated staff like could not understand his speech and therefore his speech
remained an unsolved mystery for the staff including Asokamitran. This mystery was the dark chamber of his mind. When

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 Asokamitran saw that Spender was the editor of The Encounter, he understood that Spender’s speech was all about stories and
poems and suddenly he related this to his speech he made years ago the Gemini Studios.
5. Taking a careful reading, one sees the tremendous struggle that Asokamitran underwent to surface as a writer par
excellence. Discuss.
For Asokamitran training himself as a writer was passion. He had a nickname, barber, when he was working at Gemini Studios
because he did a lot of cutting newspaper clips and magazine as he was a news record keeper. Even though he was laughed at
by the rest of the staff and was advised by some to seek a profession that fitted him, Asokamitran had a drudge that nothing
could weaken – he was determined to rise in the world of people of his kind: writers.Among those members of the Gemini
staff who was embarrassed and confused at Stephen Spender’s lost speech was there none as embarrassed and confused as
Asokamitran. It was all because of his literary ambitions that he was able to know more about Spender and his literary traits
and political views as well as the unknown communist inclinations of the boss of one of India’s foremost movie
factories. Asokamitran’s language that we read in the extract, Poets and Pancakes, is amazing as an India author is concerned
and there is no doubt that he acquired it as part of his quest for perfection as a writer. He quite poignantly narrates his
participating in a short story contest organized by the Encounter for which he spent considerable time and money. On reading
the name of the editor, Stephen Spender, he feels like getting his lost brother back.

THE INTERVIEW
Question 1. What are some of the positive views on interviews?
Answer: The positive views on interviews are that it is a medium of communication and a source of truth and information.
Some even look at it as an art. These days we know about celebrities and others through their interviews.
Question 2. Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Answer: Most celebrity writers despise being interviewed because they look at interviews as an unwarranted intrusion into
their lives. They feel that it diminishes them. They feel that they are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves.
They consider interviews immoral and a crime, and an unwanted and unwelcome interruption in their personal life.
Question 3. What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Answer: Some primitive cultures consider taking a photographic portrait is like stealing the persons’ soul and diminishing
him.
Question 4. What do you understand by the expression ‘thumbprints on his windpipe’?
Answer: Saul Bellow once described interviews as being like ‘thumbprints on his windpipe’. It means he treated interviews as
a painful experience, as something that caught him by his windpipe, squeezed him, and left indelible thumbprints on that. It
also means that when the interviewer forces personal details from his interviewee, it becomes undesirable and cruel.
Question 5. Who, in today’s world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
Answer: The interviewer is the chief source of information in today’s world. Our most vivid impressions of our
contemporaries are based on communication that comes from them. Thus, interviewers hold a position of power and influence.
Question 1. Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for your opinion.
Answer: Umberto Eco does not think highly of interviewers who he thinks are a puzzled bunch of people. He has reasons for
thinking so as they have often interpreted him as a novelist and clubbed him with Pen Clubs and writers, while he considers
himself an academic scholar who attends academic conferences and writes novels on Sundays.

Question 2. How does Eco find the time to write so much?

Answer: Eco humorously states that there are a lot of empty spaces in his life. He calls them ‘interstices. There are moments
when one is waiting for the other. In that empty space, Eco laughingly states that he writes an article. Then he states that he is a
professor who writes novels on Sundays.
Question 3. What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Answer: Umberto’s writings have an ethical and philosophical element underlying them. His non-fictional writing work has a
certain playful and personal quality about it. Even his writings for children deal with non-violence and peace. This style of
writing makes reading his novels and essays interesting and being like the reading of most academic writings. His works are
marked by an informal and narrative aspect.
Question 4. Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Answer: Umberto identified himself with the academic community, a professor who attended academic conferences rather
than meetings of Pen Clubs. In fact, he was quite unhappy that the people referred to him as a novelist.

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Question 5. What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
Answer: The success of The Name of the Rose, though a mystery to the author himself, could possibly be because it offered a
difficult reading experience to the kind of readers who do not want easy reading experiences and those who look at novels like
a machine for generating interpretations. For the same reason, the sale of his novel was underestimated by his American
publishers, while the readers actually enjoyed the difficult reading experience that was offered by Umberto Eco by raising
questions about truth and the order of the world.

Extra Questions and Answers

Short Answer Questions
Question 1. Why did Lewis Carroll have a horror of the interviewer?
Answer: Lewis Carroll was said to have had a just horror of the interviewer. It was his horror of being lionized that made him
thus repel would-be acquaintances, interviewers, and those seeking his autographs. So, he never consented to be interviewed.
Question 2. How did Rudyard Kipling look at interviews?
Answer: Rudyard Kipling condemned interviews. His wife writes in her diary that Rudyard Kipling told the reporters that he
called being interviewed immoral and a crime like an offense against any person. It merited punishment. It was cowardly and
vile.
Question 3. How were Rudyard Kipling and H.G. Wells critical of interviews yet they indulged in interviewing others
or being themselves interviewed?
Answer: Rudyard Kipling criticized interviews yet he interviewed Mark Twain. H.G. Wells referred to an interview in 1894 as
an ordeal. Yet he was a fairly frequent interviewee. He also interviewed Joseph Stalin forty years later.
Question 4. How are interviews, despite their drawbacks, useful?
Answer: Despite their drawbacks, interviews are a supremely serviceable medium of communication. We get ‘ our most vivid
impressions of our contemporaries through interviews. Denis Brain writes that almost everything of the moment reaches us
through interviews.
Question 5. What, according to Umberto Eco, is the one thing he does through his various pieces of writing?
Answer: According to Eco, he is always pursuing his ethical, philosophical interests which are non-violence and peace,
through his academic work, his novels, and even his books for children. He uses his spare moments constructively.
Question 6. Umberto Eco tells Mukund that he has a secret. What is that?
Answer: Umberto Eco tells Mukund that he has a secret to reveal. He tells him that there are empty spaces in the universe, in
all the atoms. If they are removed, the universe will shrink to the size of a fist. He calls these empty spaces interstices and he
writes in these interstices.
Question 7. How, according to one of Eco’s professors in Italy, do scholars do in their research? How is Eco’s approach
different?
Answer: According to one of Eco’s professors in Italy, scholars made a lot of false hypotheses. They correct them and at the
end, they put the conclusion. But Eco told the story of his research and included his trials and errors. His professor allowed the
publication of Eco’s dissertation as a book.
Question 8. What did Umberto Eco learn at the age of 22 that he pursued in his novels?
Answer: At the age of 22, Umberto Eco understood that scholarly books should be written the way he had done, that is, they
should be written by telling the story of the research. He means to say that they should have the narrative technique. That’s
why he started writing novels so late—at the age of 50.
Question 9. How did Eco start writing novels?
Answer: Eco states that he started writing novels by accident. One day, he had nothing to do, so he started writing. He felt that
novels probably satisfied his taste for narration and he produced five novels, including the famous The Name of the Rose.
Question 10. Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar? Discuss briefly.
Answer: Umberto Eco considered himself an academic scholar, a university professor who wrote novels on Sundays. If
somebody said that he was a novelist, that bothered him. He participated in academic conferences and not the meetings of Pen
Clubs and writers. He identified himself with the academic community.
Question 11. What makes Eco’s The Name of the Rose a very serious novel?
Answer: The Name of the Rose is a very serious novel. It is a detective story at one level but it also delves into metaphysics,
theology, and medieval history. Due to these reasons, it was greatly received by the public.
Question 12. What, according to Eco, puzzles journalists and publishers?
Answer: According to Umberto Eco, journalists and publishers are puzzled when something unexpected happens. They
believe that people like trash and do not like difficult reading experiences. But Eco’s novel The Name of the Rose, a serious
work, sold between 10 and 15 million copies. This puzzled them.
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Question 13. What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
Answer: The reason for the huge success of the novel, according to Eco, is a mystery. Nobody can predict it. He states that if
he had written the novel ten years earlier or ten years later, it wouldn’t have been the same. So, the time component, its
narrative technique, its aspects of metaphysics, theology, and medieval history, made it a grand success.
Question 14. Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for your opinion.
Answer: I think Eco likes being interviewed. His answers to Mukund’s questions are straightforward, precise and to the point.
They are never wavering. He even mentions his preferences about TV shows. While answering he gets humorous and laughs.
Nowhere does he say anything that may give us this sort of glimpse that he does not like being interviewed.
Question 15. Is Umberto’s informal style consciously adopted or natural?
Answer: Umberto’s doctoral thesis was a story of his research and a sum of his experience, his trials, and errors. The thesis
was appreciated and published as a book. Umberto then developed on his taste for narration and this narrative aspect lends an
informal touch to all his essays and novels. It makes his style alive and reading his works is not dry and boring like the reading
of other academic works.
Question 16. Why did Umberto take to writing novels?
Answer: Umberto took to writing novels to satisfy his taste for narration. He did not have even a single novel to his credit, till
the age of 50. One day having nothing to do, he started writing a novel. Moreover, he thought that novels have more readership
and he could reach a larger audience.
Question 17. What made Roland Barthes frustrated? What did he want to do?
Answer: Eco s friend Roland Barthes was an essayist. He was not satisfied fully with his scholarly essays. He yearned to do
some creative writing. He remained frustrated that he was an essayist and not a novelist. But unfortunately, he died before he
could do so.
Question 18. How did Umberto Eco become spectacularly famous?
Answer: Umberto Eco had earned a good reputation in the field of semiotics or the study of signs. His scholarly works were
staggeringly large and wide-ranging. But his spectacular fame came to him with his novel The Name of the Rose which
stormed the world and sold more than 10 million copies.
Question 19. What sort of TV programs does Eco watch after dinner and why?
Answer: After dinner, Eco watches light television programs like Miami Vice and Emergency Room. These programs do not
tax his mind and he feels relaxed after a hard, day’s work. But he cannot watch such programs the whole day.
Question 20. Bring out Umberto Eco’s humility and modesty as evident in the chapter.
Answer: Umberto Eco takes success in his stride and talks about his achievements in all modesty. He very humbly gives credit
to the people’s capability of appreciating difficult reading experiences. Regarding doing so many things, he tells that it a
fallacious impression, but at the end of the day, he is doing the same thing.

Long Questions and Answers

Question 1. The Interview as a communication genre is here to stay. Discuss with reference to the interview with
Umberto Eco.
Answer: The interview today is a communication genre that has come to stay. Its detractors—mostly celebrities— despise it as
an intrusion into their lives. However, a good interview can be a source of truth, it is an excellent medium of communication
and in the modern world, our most vivid impressions of contemporaries are through interviews. It is through the interview that
we learn about Eco’s diverse writings, his interest in the philosophy of non-violence and peace, and his ability to put every
spare moment to constructive use. At the interviewer’s prompting, he tells us why he writes scholarly works in an informal
style and how he started writing novels. We realize that he is an academician at heart. He honestly talks of the success of his
book as a mystery saying that it might •not have sold so well at another time.
Question 2. How did Umberto Eco assess his style of writing in The Name of the Rose?
Answer: Umberto Eco considered himself to be an academician who was happy writing novels on Sundays. Though he did not
feel he was a novelist, he felt the novel fulfilled his desire for narration. In fact, he spoke of himself as a university professor
who wrote novels on Sundays. The novel, according to him, enabled him to reach a larger audience. The Name of the Rose
was a very serious novel. It was a detective story that delved into metaphysics, theology, and medieval history. It enjoyed a
huge audience as, according to him, people did enjoy difficult reading experiences. Like him. many did not like easy
experiences all the time. The novel deals with a period of medieval history and the publisher did not expect to sell so well in a
state where nobody had studied Latin or seen a cathedral. He felt the timing was crucial. Perhaps its popularity would have
been less, had it been written earlier or later. ‘
Question 3. How do celebrity writers despise being interviewed as given in ‘The Interview’?

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Answer: Since its invention a little over 130 years ago, the interview has become commonplace journalism. Over the years,
opinions about its functions, methods, and merits vary considerably. Some say it is a source of truth and in practice, an art.
Others despise it being an unwarranted intrusion into their lives. They feel it diminishes them. They equate it to taking a
photographic portrait of somebody which in some primitive cultures means ‘stealing the person’s soul.’ Some people feel
wounded by interviews and lose part of themselves. They call it immoral, a crime, and an assault. To some, it is cowardly and
vile or an ordeal.
Question 4. How does Eco explain that he is convinced he is always doing the same thing?
Answer: Umberto Eco explains to Mukund Padmanabhan in an interview that all the people have a lot of empty spaces. These
he calls ‘interstices’. He explains them through an example. He says that one is to come to him and is in an elevator and he is
waiting for him. While waiting for the guest’s elevator to appear before him. he has already written an article. It means he
writes in snatches of time. However, his creative ideas flow in his mind every time even when he is hosting his guest. Though
he relaxes on Sundays, yet is very much busy writing novels. On other days he is busy with his academic work.
Question 5. How does Mukund Padmanabhan comment on Eco’s academic writing style? What does Eco say about it?
Answer: Mukund Padmanabhan states that Eco’s non-fictional writing, that is, his scholarly work has a certain playful and
personal quality about it. It is a marked departure from a regular style. That regular style is invariably depersonalized and often
dry and boring. To a question, if he consciously adopted an informal style, he cited the comments of one of the professors who
examined and evaluated his first doctoral dissertation. The professor said that scholars learned a lot of a certain subject, then
they made a lot of false hypotheses, then they corrected and put conclusions at the end. But Eco told the story of his research,
including his trials and errors. At the age of 22, Eco understood that scholarly books should be written by telling the story of
the research. His essays, therefore, have a narrative aspect. That is why he wrote novels to satisfy his taste for narrative.
Question 6. How does Mukund Padmanabhan impress you as an interviewer? Do you consider his interview with
Umberto Eco a success?
Answer: Mukund Padmanabhan’s interview with Umberto Eco talks about his capabilities as a successful interviewer. He
does not encroach upon his privacy or embarrasses him with personal questions. He does not come in-between the celebrity
and the readers. His questions are well worded. His questions • draw out of him what his fans would like to know. The
questions asked by Mukund cover all the aspects of his works and personality. Eco gives elaborated answers to all his
questions. With every question, the interviewer withdraws to the background leaving the interviewee in the limelight. The
whole interview does not appear to be an ordeal for the interviewee. In short, it is crisp at the same time informal.
Question 7. What are the opinions of some of the celebrities on interviews?
Answer: Celebrities have often seen themselves as victims of interviews. In V.S. Naipaul’s opinion, interviews have left
people wounded and part of them stolen. Lewis Carroll was in horror of the interviewer and he never consented to be
interviewed. He often silenced all those who sought to interview him or ask for his autographs. Rudyard Kipling too held a
very critical attitude towards interviews and disapproved of them after he was left almost wrecked by two reporters from
Boston. According to his wife, since then he found interviews were vile, immoral, and a crime. To H.G. Wells, being
interviewed was an ordeal, while to Saul Bellow, interviews were like thumbprints on his windpipe, extortion of personal
details by an overbearing interviewer. They all seemed to be terrified of interviews.
Question 8. How does the interview with Umberto Eco prove that the interview is the most commendable tool to elicit
information about the interviewee?
Answer: Mukund Padmanabhan from ‘The Hindu’ interviews Umberto Eco and proves that interview is the most
commendable tool to elicit information about the interviewee.
Through his interview, he reveals that Eco is a prolific writer and yet a man who is most modest about his achievements. He
very humbly spells the secret of his varied and staggeringly voluminous works produced by him. When Mukund asks him
about David Lodge’s remark that how one man can do all the things that Eco does’, Eco very modestly says it is a fallacious
impression, in fact, he has always been doing the same thing by pursuing the same philosophical ideas. He views himself as an
academic, rather than a novelist. He admits that he has started writing novels by accident and writes novels on Sundays.

GOING PLACES
Question 1 : What was Sophie’s ambition in life? How did she hope to achieve that?
Answer : Sophie’s ambition in life was either to come an actress, a fashion designer or a boutique owner. She had not made
any plan about how she was going to achieve her ambition.
Question 2 : Why is Sophie attracted to Danny Casey?
Answer : Danny Casey is a young and successful football player from Ireland. He is also quite handsome, which adds to his
popularity among his fans, especially young girls of Sophie’s age. Naturally, Sophie is attracted to him.
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Question 3 : How are Jansie and Sophie different from each other?
Answer : Jansie and Sophie have contrasting characters and an altogether different approach towards life. Jansie is quite
practical and her feet are grounded in reality, whereas Sophie is a daydreamer and lives in an imaginary world.
Question 4 : Why did Sophie long for her brother’s affection?
Answer : Sophie found in her brother, Geoff, a patient listener to all her fantasies. The other members of her family and even
her friend Jansie did not believe her and made fun of her dreams and future plans. This made her quite fond of Geoff and long
for his affection.
Question 5 : Did Geoff keep up his promise? How do you know?
Answer : Geoff didn’t keep his promise to Sophie. Sophie told Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey at the Royce’s and
requested him not to tell anyone about it. However, Geoff told this to Frank who in turn told his sister, Jansie.
Question 6 : Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?
Answer : Geoff never spoke much and this made Sophie ponder over the areas of his life which he never talked about. His
world remained a fascination for her. She felt that when he was not speaking, his mind was away at some unknown place, and
so she felt jealous of his silence.
Question 7 : What is unrealistic about Sophie’s dreams of her future life?
Answer : Sophie was born in a poor family and was bound to work in a biscuit factory after passing out from school.
However, she dreamt about having a lot of money, and owning a boutique. This was unrealistic about her dreams.
Question 8 : Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from having dreams?
Answer : Jansie discouraged Sophie from living in a world of fantasy as her dreams were wild and impossible. She told her
that they belonged to poor family and were earmarked to work in the biscuit factory after passing out from school.
Question 9 : How do we know that Sophie’s family lived in poor circumstances?
Answer : We know that Sohpie’s family lived in poor circumstances as her father worked as a labourer and they lived in a
small, cramped and suffocated house.
Question 10 : Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer : Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey because she knew that Jansie
cannot keep a secret. Once she gets to know about something, she tells the whole neighbourhood about it.
Question 11 : How did Sophie’s father react when Geoff told him about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer : When Geoff told his father about Sophie’s chance encounter with Danny Casey, he expressed disdain and rubbished
her story. He changed the topic and warned Sophie that such made up stories would land her into trouble someday.
Question 12 : What thoughts came to Sophie’s mind as she sat by the canal?
Answer : Sophie felt doubts stirring inside her, as she sat by the canal waiting for Danny Casey. When she say no sign of him,
she remembered Geoff’s words that Casey would not come. She thought what she would tell her family.
Question 13 : Which was the only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person?
Answer : The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when she went to watch the match with her
family. Sitting amongst the spectators, Sophie saw Casey from a distance.
Question 14 : Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from entertaining thoughts about the sports star, Danny Casey?
Answer : Jansie was a realist, and not a daydreamer like Sophie. She discouraged Sophie from entertaining thoughts about the
sports star, Danny Casey, because her dreams were wild and impossible.
Question 15 : Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey?
Answer : When Geoff told her father about Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey, Sophie wriggled because she knew that her
father wouldn’t believe it. Sophie was sure that he would be angry with her on hearing about the incident.
Question 16 : What did Sophie tell Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer : Sophie told Geoff that she met Danny Casey at Royce’s and said that she asked him for an autograph but neither she
nor Danny had a pen or paper. She also said that Danny promised to meet her next week.
Question 17 : “Damn that Geoff, this was Geoff thing, not a Jansie thing.” Why did Sophie say so?
Answer : Sophie had told Geoff about her chance meeting with Danny Casey expecting that he would keep it to himself.
Sophie said this as she was annoyed that Geoff had leaked her secret and feared that now Jansie would tell everyone about it.
Question 18 : Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer : Geoff did not believe Sophie’s story about her meeting with Danny Casey . He dismissed the whole story as a most
unlikely thing and told her that Casey would never keep his promise of meeting her again to give her his autograph.
Question 19 : What did Sophie imagine about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer : Sophie imagined that she had met Danny Casey at Royce’s and asked him for an autograph but could not get it as
neither of them had paper or pen. Casey promised to meet her gain next week.
Question 20 : Write a character sketch of Jansie.

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Answer : Jansie is a practical and realistic girl who knows her limitations. belongs to a poor family and is aware of the fact
that she would work at the biscuit factory after passing school. She is also nosey.
Long Answer Type Questions (120-150 Words)

Question 1 : Every teenager has a hero/heroine to admire. So many times, they become role models for them. What is
wrong if Sophie fantasizes about Danny Casey and is ambitious in life?
Answer : Sophie was a girl having unrealistic dreams. She felt that would become either a boutique owner, shop manager,
actress or a fashion designer, though her friend Jansie realised that with their background and education, they would just
become workers in a biscuit factory.
Like every young girl, Sophie also had a strong desire of knowing the unknown, seeing the unseen and even dating famous
people like Danny Casey. So, she visited the perfect place for lovers and sat on the solitary wooden bench under the tree
waiting for Danny, but there was no sign of him. So, she became burdened with sadness. This kind of fantasizing may lead to
depression among teenagers, as their life’s ambitions are not fulfilled. It is not wrong to be ambitious in life. However, being
over-ambitious like Sophie leads to failure and frustration in life. Hence, once should set practical goals in one’s life.

Question 2 : Teachers always advise their students to dream big. Yet, the same teachers in your classrooms find fault
with Sophie when she dreams. What is wrong with Sophie’s dreams?
Answer : Sophie lives in a world of dreams, which is far from reality. It is not unreasonable to have high hopes and ambitions
for one’s future, but such dreaming can be justified only when is prepared to work hard to realise one’s dreams.
Sophie too needs to work hard to achieve her drams, instead of just imagining a bright and successful future for herself, or
fantasizing about her meeting with Danny Casey. She should accept the reality that she belongs to a middle-class working
family. Initially, she would face some difficulties because of her poor financial condition, but if she persists with sincere
devotion, she could certainly raise her status to the level from where she would actually have the company of successful people
like Danny Casey. Besides, with better educational qualifications, increased opportunities, hard work and more savings, she
could even own a boutique in future.

Question 3 : Sophie lives in a world full of dreams which she does not know that she cannot realize. Comment.
Answer : Sophie has been portrayed as the central character in the story ‘Going Places’. She perfectly represents the girls of
her age who live in poor families.
Sophie always lives in a dream world, dreaming impossible things. The opening scene of the story clearly depicts what sort of
girl she is. She is not ready to accept the reality of her family’s condition and dreams of having a boutique of her own.

She makes up a story of meeting Danny Casey, a charming and upcoming footballer. Nobody believes her but she refuses to
accept that it is her fantasy. Rather, she starts believing that she has met him and to prove that she is telling the truth, she
makes up another story that she has fixed a date with him. She is so lost in her dreams that she actually goes to the canal and
waits for him. Danny does not show up. She knows that he will not come, but still, she becomes sad. Such is the character of
Sophie.

Question 4 : It is not unusual for a lower middle class girl to dream big. How unrealistic were Sophie’s dreams?
Answer : Sophie always lived in a make-believe world of her own and had the unrealistic expectation that she will have a
successful career as a boutique owner, store manager, actress or even a fashion designer. This was totally unrealistic, as she
was from a working-class family and was bound to work in the local biscuit factory after passing out from school. Similarly,
she imagined that a famous footballer like Danny Casey would date her. She even went to the extent of waiting beside the
canal for him. After he did not turn up, she realized that this was only her dream and Danny will never date her. Even then, she
is lost in her dream world, becoming sad that Danny did not come. This shows how unrealistic were her dreams.
Question 5 : How different is Jansie from Sophie?
Answer : Sophie and Jansie were classmates as well as friends. They both belonged to lower middle-class families. But that is
where their similarity ends. There is a striking contrast between their characters. Sophie is a day-dreamer and Jansie is
practical. Sophie lives in a world of dreams and does not want to come out of this fairyland. She is an incurable escapist and
dreams of having a boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer. Jansie, on the other hand, is very grounded. She has
her feet firmly planted on the ground and knows they are both ‘earmarked for the biscuit factory’. She knows big things require
big money and experience which they lack desperately. She advises Sophie to be sensible and not entertain wild dreams.
Sophie and Jansie’s temperaments differ greatly. While Sophie shares her dreams only with her brother, Goeff, Jansie on the

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other hand is nosey. She takes an interest in learning new things about others and can spread stories in the whole
neighbourhood.
Question 6 : Has Sophie met Danny Casey? What details of her meeting with Danny Casey did she narrate to her
brother?
Answer : No, Sophie never really met Danny Casey. She has just seen Danny Casey on the field when she went to watch team
United play a football match. There, she was one of the spectators and could see Casey playing only from a distance.
However, Sophie lived in an imaginary world. Casey was a young sport-star and Sophie worshipped him as her hero. Her
meeting with Casey was just another of her wild fantasies. She was so engrossed in her daydreams that what she imagined
seemed real to her.

Sophie told her brother Geoff that she met Casey near Royce’s. As she was looking at the clothes, Casey came and stood
beside her. She wanted to take his autograph for her younger brother Derek, but neither of them had a pen or paper. Casey then
suggested that they could meet again next week, and then he would also give his autograph.

Question 7 : What were Sophie’s plans for the future? Why would you call her dreams unrealistic?
Answer : Sophie planned to open a boutique after she passed out of school. When Jansie told her that opening a boutique
would require a lot of money, she said that she would become a manager and save money for her boutique. She latter also
added that she would either become an actress or a fashion designer.
For a girl from a lower middle-class family such dreams are certainly far from reality. Sophie’s friend Jansie, who is quite
practical, knows that they will ultimately have to work in the biscuit factory. She even dissuades Sophie from indulging in such
childish fantasies. But Sophie wants to materialize all those things which were simply not possible practically. Never for once
in the story does Sophie think practically or come out of her dream world.

Question 8 : Draw a character sketch of Sophie’s father.

Answer : Sophies’ father is a happy-go-lucky and carefree man. He does not appear to be either soft or even sophisticated. He
is a heavy breathing man. He usually sits in his vest at the table. Sophie, it appears, fears him. He does not believe in his
daughter’s wild stories and so he ignores her completely and prefers to watch television than listen to her. Even when his son
Geoff tells him that Sophie had met the Irish prodigy, Danny Casey, he completely ignores the news. He is extremely
interested in football and, like all his children, he also adores Danny Casey. He is a middle-class man who goes to the pub on
his bicycle to celebrate his team’s victory and the fact that Casey had scored a second goal. He is a rather dominating person
and a typical representation of the lower-middle family of that time.
Going Places

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 Words)

Question.1. Why is Sophie attracted to Danny Casey?

Answer. Danny Casey is a young and successful football player from Ireland. He is also quite handsome, which adds to his
popularity among his fans, especially young giris of Sophie’s age. Naturally, Sophie is attracted to him. Besides, her family
members are also huge football fans and Casey is a hero for them.

Question.2. How are Jansie and-Sophie different from each other?

Answer. Jansie and Sophie have contrasting characters and an altogether different approach towards life. Jansie is quite
practical and her feet are grounded in reality, whereas Sophie is a daydreamer and lives in an imaginary world. Jansie is mature
and accepts the truth that people of their stature can only become workers in a biscuit factory. On the other hand, Sophie tries
to escape from reality and dreams of becoming an actress, a manager or a fashion designer.

Question.3. Why did Sophie long for her brother’s affection?

or
Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person?
Answer. Sophie found in her brother, Geoff a patient listener to all her fantasies and also one she could confide in. The other
members of her family and even her friend Jansie made fun of her fantastic stories. This made her quite fond of Geoff. She

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also looked upon Geoff as someone widely travelled. His world remained a fascination for her and she longed that someday he
might take her there.

Question.4. Did Geoff keep up his promise? How do you know?

or
Did Geoff keep his promise to Sophie? How do you know?
Answer. Geoff didn’t keep his promise to Sophie. Sophie told Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey at the Royce’s.
Geoff told the story to Frank who in turn told his sister, Jansie, about it. However, Geoff never revealed the full story, as he did
not tell anyone about Sophie’s supposed’date’with Danny Casey.

Question.5. Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?

Answer. Geoff never spoke much. Sophie always pondered over the areas of his life which he never talked about. His world
remained a fascination for her. She felt that when he was not speaking, his mind was away at some unknown place, and so she
felt jealous of him.

Question.6. Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey?
or
Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?
Answer. Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey because she knew that Jansie was
a blabber mouth. The moment Jansie knew of someone’s secret, the whole neighbourhood would get to know of it. Sophie did
not want to be ridiculed before others.

Question.7. How did Sophie’s father react when Geoff told him about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer. Sophie’s father is a realist to the core. He does not believe in Sophie’s story at all and dismisses it as another of her
wild fantasies. When Geoff tells him about Sophie’s chance encounter with Danny Casey, the Irish prodigy, he expresses
disdain and rubbishes her story. He changes the topic by saying that he once knew a man who knew another famous English
footballer named Tom Finney. He warns Sophie that such concocted stories would land her into trouble someday.
Question.8. What thoughts came to Sophie’s mind as she sat by the canal?
Answer. Sophie felt doubts stirring inside her, as she sat by the canal waiting for Danny Casey. When she saw no sign of him,
she remembered Geoff’s words that Casey would not come. She wonders what she would tell her family. She thinks that Geoff
would be disappointed. She is saddened by the fact that she will never be able to show her family that they are wrong to cast
doubts on her.

Question.9. Which was the only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person?

Answer. The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when she went to watch the match with her
family. Sitting amongst the spectators, Sophie saw Casey from a distance. The power of her imagination was such that she
concocted a story of her brief encounter with him and almost got an autograph from him.

Question.10.Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from entertaining thoughts about the sports- star, Danny Casey?
Answer. Jansie was a realist, and not a daydreamer like Sophie. She discouraged Sophie from having such dreams because her
dreams were wild and impossible. She had neither the means nor the skills to achieve them. She feels sad because she knows
that both of them will have to work at the biscuit factory after they pass out of school. It was preposterous for her to live in
such a dream world and it could lead to depression or low self-esteem.

Question.11.Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey?
Answer. When Geoff told her father about Sophie’s chance encounter with Danny Casey, Sophie wriggled because she knew
that her father wouldn’t believe it. Her father was a practical, realistic person and Sophie was sure that he would be angry with
her and reprimand her for concocting such stories. She feared that she would have to add more details to the story to make it
sound authentic.

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Question.12.”Damn that Geoff, this was Geoff thing, not a Jansie thing,” Why did Sophie say so?
Answer. Sophie knew that her classmate Jansie poked her nose into every matter, she was a rumour monger. Jansie came to
know about the Sophie-Casey encounter through Frank, her brother, who was friends with Geoff. Sophie was annoyed with
Geoff because this story was meant only for him. Sophie knew that Jansie would spread this information like wildfire and it
could draw lots of people to her house to enquire about Casey.

Question.13. Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer. Geoff does not believe Sophie’s story about her meeting with Danny Casey, the Irish football star. Although he had a
strong bond with his sister, as she shared all her secrets with him, he dismissed the whole story as a most unlikely thing. He
does not hesitate to tell her that Casey would never keep his promise of meeting her again to give her his autograph.

Question.14. What did Sophie imagine about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer. Sophie imagines that she has met Danny Casey, the Irish football prodigy, at Royce’s. She cooks up details about his
appearance and says that she asked him for an autograph but could not get it as neither of them had paper or pen. They talked
for a while about the clothes in the shop. Casey promised to meet her again next week.

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Question.1. Has Sophie met Danny Casey? What details of her meeting with Danny Casey did she narrate to her
brother?
or
Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey?
Answer. No Sophie has never really met Danny Casey. She has just seen Danny Casey on the field when she went to watch
team United play a football match. There, she was one of the spectators and could see Casey playing only from a distance.
However, Sophie lives in an imaginary world. Casey was a young sport star and Sophie worshipped him as her hero. Her
meeting with Casey was just another of her wild fantasies. She was so engrossed in her daydreams that what she imagined
seemed real to her.
Sophie told her brother Geoff that she met Casey near Royce’s. As she was looking at the clothes, Casey came and stood
beside her. She wanted to take his autograph for her younger brother ‘Derek, but neither of them had a pen or paper. Casey
then suggested that they could meet again next week, and then he would also give his autograph.

Question.2. What were Sophie’s plans for her future? Why would you call her dreams unrealistic?
(Delhi 2014; Modified)
Answer. Sophie planned to open a boutique after she passed out of school. When Jansie told her that it would require a lot of
money, she said that she would become a manager and save money! for her boutique. She later also added that she would
either become an actress or a fashion designer. For a girl from a lower middle-class family such dreams are certainly far from
reality. Sophie’s friend Jansie, who is quite practical, knows that they will ultimately have to work in the biscuit factory. She
even dissuades Sophie from indulging in such childish fantasies. Sophie wants to materialize all those things which were
simply not possible practically. Never for once in the story does the girl think practically or come out of her dream world.

Question.3. Sophie was a dreamer. The lesson ‘Going Places’ reminds us that mere dreams will
not help us to accomplish anything. What qualities, do you think, would help Sophie to realize her dreams? (Foreign
2014)
Answer. Sophie lives in a world of dreams, which is far from reality. It is not unreasonable to have high hopes and ambitions
for one’s future, but such dreaming can be justified only when one is prepared to work hard to realise one’s dreams.
Sophie too needs to work hard to achieve her dreams, instead of just imagining a bright and successful future for herself, or
fantasizing about her meeting with Danny Casey. She should accept the reality that she belongs to a middle-class working
family. Initially, she would face some difficulties because of her poor financial condition, but if she persists with sincere
devotion, she could certainly raise her status to the level from where she would actually have the company of successful.
people like Danny Casey. Besides, with better educational qualifications, increased opportunities, hard work and more savings,
she could even own a boutique in future.
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Question.4. Attempt a character sketch of Sophie as a woman who lives in her dreams.
Answer. Sophie has been portrayed as the central character in the story ‘Going Places’. She perfectly represents the girls of her
age who live in poor families.
Sophie always lives in a dream world, dreaming impossible things. The opening scene of the story clearly tells what sort of girl
she is. She is not ready to accept the reality of her family’s condition and dreams of having a boutique of her own.
She makes up the story of meeting Danny Casey, a charming and upcoming footballer. Nobody believes her but she refuses to
accept that it is her dream. Rather, she starts believing that she has met him and to prove that she is telling the truth, she makes
up another story that she has fixed a date with him.
She is so lost in her dreams that she actually goes to the canal and waits for him. He does not show up. She knows that he will
not come, but still, she becomes sad. Such is the character of Sophie.

Question.5. Contrast Sophie’s real world with her fantasies.

Answer. The story ‘Going Places’ is a journey into the dream world of the protagonist, a schoolgirl named Sophie who drifts
from one dream to another. The world of dreams is so fascinating for her that even her wildest thoughts can find refuge it.
Sophie finds the reality of her life too harsh to accept. She belongs to a lower middle-class family where nobody encourages
her to dream of better prospects. Still, she dreams of owning the best boutique, becoming a manager in some store or at other
times becoming an actress or a fashion designer.
In her dream world, she visits the Royce’s, meets Danny Casey, the sports icon, and even fixes up a date with him. It’s all in
her mind but she considers it true and actually waits for him to show up at a specified spot and time. The flight of her
imagination is such that it flips from one dream to another, from one place to the other.

Keeping Quiet
Extract Based Questions

Question.1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions 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 interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death
(a) Whom does ‘we’ refer to in the above lines?
(b) Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing’ for once?
(c) What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
(d) How can a huge silence do good to us?
Answer.
(a) ‘We’ refers to the human beings, who are always thinking about their own progress and advancement.
(b) The poet wants us to ‘do nothing’ for once so that our mind can be at peace and we are able to introspect and analyze our
own actions.
(c) The poet refers to the ‘sadness’ which arises due to the fact that people fail to understand themselves. They have no time to
introspect about their actions and their consequences.
(d) A huge silence can do good to us because we are able to achieve peace in this silence. It helps us in analysing ourselves and
our actions, interrupting the sadness of threatening ourselves with death.

Question.2. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead

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

Question.3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
For once on the face of the Earth
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
arid not move our arms so much.
(a) Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?
(b) What does he want us to do for one second?
(c) What does he mean by “not move our arms”?
(d) How can this moment of stillness help us?
Answer.
(a) The poet wants us to keep quiet in the hope that the moment of tranquility might help us in finding the answers to our
problems.
(b) The poet wants us to be silent and motionless for one second.
(c) The poet means that we should be in a state of total stillness with no physical activity at all.
(d) This moment of stillness can provide us physical and mental rest, during which our mind will be at peace. We can analyse
our actions and their consequences and avoid rash or thoughtless behaviour.

Question.4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
(a) What will happen if there is no rush or running of engines?
(b) Why would it be called an exotic moment?
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(c) How would we feel at that moment?
(d) Name the poem and the poet.
Answer.
(a) It will be an ecstatic moment of tranquility without rush or running of engines.
(b) It would be called an exotic moment because it will be an instance of universal peace and brotherhood. In that moment, all
of us would initiate introspection through meditation and the whole world will be enveloped in quietness.
(c) We would feel very strange at that moment, because at that time everyone will have a feeling of oneness with their fellow
human beings. It will be a new feeling altogether.
(d) The poem is ‘Keeping Quiet’, and the poet is Pablo Neruda.

Question.5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Now we will count to twelve,
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth,
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
(a) How long does the poet want to stay still?
(b) What does he hope to achieve by keeping quiet?
(c) What does the poet mean by “not move our arms so much”?
(d) Why does the poet suggest us not to speak in any language?
Answer.
(a) The poet exhorts each one of us to count to twelve and then be quiet, silent and motionless for a brief moment.
(b) He hopes to achieve and realise the value of quiet introspection. In this silence, we shall feel that all are together and will
experience a strange feeling of togetherness.
(c) By this, he means that we should not make any physical movement, as physical activity will stop dr interrupt our
introspection.
(d) The poet wants us to simply be silent for a moment and utilize that time to understand ourselves as well as others. Besides,
language differences often lead to conflict, which the poet, perhaps, wants to avoid.

Question.6. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
(a) What does the poet expect of the fishermen and why?
(b) While gathering salt, what will the man do?
(c) What do the hurt hands imply?
(d) How would man and nature benefit in this moment of silence?
Answer.
(a) In the exotic moment of silence and introspection, fishermen will become conscious of the fact that they are causing harm
to the whales. The poet expects this because he feels that at this opportune moment all evil will come to an end.
(b) The man gathering salt will stop for a while at that quiet moment and look at his hurt
hands.
(c) ‘Hurt hands’ means that human beings are oblivious of the pain they are causing to themselves in the pursuit of amassing
more and more comforts. They have no time for themselves.
(d) In this moment of silence, man will not harm nature, and both human beings and nature will get some time to attend to and
recover from their wounds.

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

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Question.1. Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’?
Answer. The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic moment. It would be an exotic moment, as such
a tranquility will initiate peace and brotherhood. There would be no movement, no talk, no activity and consequently, no
violence.

Question.2. What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’?
or
What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer. The poet refers to the sadness which surrounds man due to not having any time for himself, the pain of not
understanding what he or his fellow human beings want. He has no time for introspection; as a result, he is unable to analyze
his own actions and understand its consequences.

Question.3. Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet condemns violence?
Answer. The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea and wars leaving behind no survivors to celebrate the
victory show that the poet condemns violence. The poet wants the warmongers to change their blood-stained clothes to clean
ones. The poet’s refusal to have any association or dealing with death also shows that he is not in favor of any form of
violence.

Question.4. What symbol from nature does the poet use to prove that keeping quiet is not total
inactivity?
Answer. The poet uses nature as a symbol to explain his idea that there can be life under apparent stillness. According to him,
keeping quiet is not total inactivity. A seed may appear to be dead and inactive, but one day, the same seed may turn into a
fruitful tree.

Question.5. How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude to life?
Answer. Keeping quiet and suspending all our activities for a brief moment will give us time to introspect and analyze our
own actions. We will develop a new understanding of our surroundings and thus change our attitude to life. We will check our
destructive ways and try to be more positive and constructive.

Question.6. What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s
attitude towards these wars?
Answer. The poet has written about wars against humanity and nature. Green wars, wars with poisonous gases and wars with
fire are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem. Wars do good to no one. Pablo Neruda feels that such wars may
bring victory, but there are no survivors. It means that there is heavy loss on both sides.

Question.7. How can suspension of activities help?

Answer. The poet believes that suspension of activities will allow man to introspect, which can help them in analyzing their
own actions, and in solving many of their problems based on caste, religion or nationality. It will help them develop a new
understanding of their surroundings, and thus make them mend their destructive ways.

Question.8. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Answer. No, the poet clearly states that his asking for stillness should not be confused with total inactivity or death. He
perceives life to be a continuous process, where man’s activities should not lead to destruction of fellow human beings or
nature, but should be channelized in a resourceful way.

Question.9. According to the poet, what is it that human beings can learn from nature?
Answer. Life under apparent stillness in attitude is the thing which man can learn from nature. The Earth is never in a state of
total inactivity. Nature carries on its work even where there is stillness all around. Winter is associated with inactivity, but this
is not actually true.

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Question.10. What will counting up-to twelve and keeping quiet help us to achieve?
Answer. The poet asks each one of us to count to twelve and then be quiet, silent and motionless. This quietness will create a
moment of togetherness among all; a condition which is foremost for the survival of humanity, which is indeed an
achievement. It will also give us One to analyze our actions and their consequences.

Question 1 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Now we will count to twelve:
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
a) What is the significance of the number ‘twelve’?
Answer : The significance of the number ‘twelve’ is that there are 12 hours in a clock and 12 months in a year.
b) Which two activities does the poet want us to stop?
Answer : The two activities that the poet wants us to stop are speaking in any language and moving our arms.
c) What does the poet mean by ‘let’s not speak in any language?
Answer : The poet means that nothing should be spoken in any language, so there are no disputes.
d) Describe the pun on the word, ‘arms’.
Answer : ‘Arms’ has two meanings – hands and weapons. So the poet wants us to be still, i.e., not moving our hands,
and also not fight, i.e., not use any weapons.
Question 2 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
‘It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness’.
a) Which exotic moment is referred to in these lines?

Answer : The ‘exotic moment’ referred to in these lines is the moment when everyone keeps quiet and there is no
movement.

b) Why would that moment be strange?

Answer : That moment would be strange because there will be rush or sound of engines and it will bring the whole of
humanity together for the first time.

c) What does the poet advocate in the poem?

Answer : The poet advocates the need to introspect and think before you act in the poem.

d) What does the poet mean by the word, ‘engines?

Answer : By the word ‘engines’, the poet means automobiles or machines.

Question 3 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions 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 interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.”

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a) Who does ‘we’ refer to in the above lines?
Answer : ‘We’ refers to the human beings, who are always thinking about their own progress and advancement.
b) Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing’ for once?
Answer : The poet wants us to ‘do nothing’ for once so that our mind can be at peace and we get some time to
introspect and analyse our own actions.
c) What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer : The poet refers to the ‘sadness’ which arises due to the fact that people fail to understand themselves. They
have no time to introspect about their actions and their consequences.
d) How can a huge silence do good to us?
Answer : A huge silence can do good to us because we would be able to achieve peace in this silence. It would help us in
analysing ourselves and our actions. This would interrupt the sadness of threatening ourselves with death.
Question 4 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive
Now I’ll count upto twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
a) What does the Earth teach us?
Answer : The Earth teaches us how new life springs from dead remains, and how there is life under apparent stillness.
b) What does the poet mean to achieve?
Answer : The poet wants to achieve peace by counting upto twelve. He wants us to introspect in a moment of silence.
c) What is the significance of ‘keeping quiet’?
Answer : Keeping quiet doesn’t mean just not speaking. It means that we should avoid all activities which hurt nature
and, in turn hurt us.
d) What is always alive, even when everything seems to be dead?
Answer : The Earth is always alive, even when everything else seems to be dead as there is always some activity going
on in nature beneath its apparent stillness.
Question 5 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
For once on the face of the Earth
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
a) Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?
Answer : The poet wants us to keep quiet in the hope that the moment of tranquility might help us in finding the
answers to our problems.
b) What does he want us to do for one second?
Answer : The poet wants us to be silent and motionless for one second.
c) What does he mean by “not move our arms”?
Answer : By “not moving our arms” the poet means that we should be in a state of total stillness with no physical
activity at all.
d) How can this moment of stillness help us?
Answer : This moment of stillness can provide us physical and mental rest, during which our mind will be at peace. We
can analyse our actions and their consequences and avoid rash or thoughtless behaviour.
Question 6 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
a) What will happen if there is no rush or running of engines?
Answer : It will be an ecstatic moment of tranquility when there is no rush or running of engines.
b) Why would it be called an exotic moment?
Answer : It would be called an exotic moment because it will be a moment of universal peace and brotherhood. In that
moment, all of us would initiate introspection through meditation and the whole world will be enveloped in quietness.
c) How would we feel at the moment?

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Answer : We would feel very strange at that moment, because at that time everyone will have a feeling of oneness with
their fellow human beings. It will be a new feeling altogether.
d) Name the poem and the poet.
Answer : The poem is ‘Keeping Quiet’ and the poet is Pablo Neruda.
Question 7 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Now we will count to twelve,
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth,
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
a) How long does the poet want to stay still?
Answer : The poet wants us to stay silent for a brief moment.
b) What does he hope to achieve by keeping quiet?
Answer : He hopes to achieve and realise the value of quiet introspection by keeping quiet.
c) What does the poet mean by ‘not move our arms so much’?
Answer : By this, he means that we should not make any physical movement, as physical activity will interrupt our
introspection.
d) Why does the poet suggest us not to speak in any language?
Answer : The poet wants us to simply be silent for a moment and utilise that time to understand ourselves as well as
others. Besides, speaking can also lead to quarrels, which the poet, perhaps, wants to avoid.
Question 8 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
a) What does the poet expect of the fishermen and why?
Answer : In the exotic moment of silence and introspection, fishermen will become conscious of the fact that they are
causing harm to the whales and would stop killing them.
b) While gathering salt, what will the man do?
Answer : The man gathering salt will stop for a while at the quiet moment and look at his hurt hands.
c) What do the hurt hands imply?
Answer : ‘Hurt hands’ means that human beings are forgetful of the pain they are causing to themselves in the pursuit
of amassing more and more comforts.
d) How would man and nature benefit in this moment of silence?
Answer : In this moment of silence, man will not harm nature, and both human beings and nature will get some time to
attend to their wounds and recover.
Questions (30 – 40 Words)

Question 1 : How would keeping quiet affect life in and around the sea?
Answer : Keeping quiet would affect life in and around the sea in two ways. By keeping quiet, the fishermen will not
kill whales for some time. Also, the salt gatherers will get some time to heal their hurt hands.
Question 2 : How is the Earth a source of life when all seems dead on it?
Answer : In the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ the Earth is a source of life because it is never in a state of total inactivity even
when there is silence all around. Nature continues to work even when everything is still and silent.
Question 3 : How is the total inactivity on the Earth in the winter months full of life?
Answer : The poet has tried to bring out the fact that during winter months everything seems still and dead, but some
activity goes on even then. For instance, a seed appears to be ‘dead’ but later on trees are born from such seeds.
Question 4 : “Life is what it is all about”; ……………How is keeping quiet related to life?
Answer : Keeping quiet is related to life as it helps one to introspect one’s actions. It , also gives one the much needed
break from one’s busy schedules.
Question 5 : Why does one feel ‘a sudden strangeness’ on counting to twelve and keeping quiet?
Answer : One feels sudden strangeness on counting to twelve and keeping quiet as everything become quiet and still.
This silence is unusual and strange as mankind has never experienced it before.

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Question 6 : How will ‘keeping quiet’ protect our environment?
Answer : Keeping quiet and staying still would protect our environment as the fishermen would not catch whales and
green wars would come to an end temporarily.
Question 7 : What does the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ teach us?
Answer : The poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ teaches us to take out some time from our busy schedules to introspect ourselves.
It also teaches us to stop being self-centered and selfish and be happy by understanding ourselves.
Question 8 : Which symbol from nature does the poet invoke that there can be life under apparent stillness?
Answer : The poet uses the symbol of seed from nature to explain his idea that there can be life under apparent
stillness. A seed may appear to be dead and inactive, but one day, the same seed may sprout and become a fruit bearing
tree.
Question 9 : What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us to achieve?
Answer : This activity would create a moment of togetherness among all; a condition which is foremost for the survival
of humanity. It will also give us time to analyse our actions and their consequences.
Question 10 : Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’?
Answer : The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic moment. It would be an exotic moment,
as such a tranquility will initiate peace and brotherhood and consequently, no violence.
Question 11 : What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’?
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 what his fellow human beings want from him.
Question 12 : Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet condemns violence?
Answer : The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea and wars leaving behind no survivors to celebrate
the victory show that the poet condemns violence.
Question 13 : How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude to life?
Answer : Keeping quiet and suspending all our activities for a brief moment will give us time to introspect and analyse
our own actions. We will develop a new understanding of our surroundings and this would change our attitude to life.
Question 14 : What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s attitude towards these
wars?
Answer : Green wars, wars with poisonous gases and wars with fire are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the
poem. Neruda feels that such wars may bring victory , but there would be no survivors left to celebrate the victory.
Question 15 : How can suspension of activities help?
Answer : The poet believes that suspension of activities will allow man to introspect, which in turn would help them in
analysing their own actions, in solving many of their problems and in mending their destructive ways.
Question 16 : Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’? Why/Why not?
Answer : No, the poet clearly states that his asking for stillness should not be confused with total inactivity or death as
he perceives life to be a continuous process way.
Question 17 : According to the poet, what is it that human beings can learn from nature?
Answer : Life under apparent stillness 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.

A Thing of Beauty
Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
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All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from heaven’s brink
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines?
(c) What image does the poet use in these lines?
(d) What is the effect of this ‘immortal drink’ on us?
or
(a) Who are the ‘mighty dead’? How do we know about them?
(b) What images does the poet use to convey that beauty is everlasting?

(c) What is the effect of the immortal drink?

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

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) Why are we despondent?
(c) What removes “the pall from our dark spirits”?
(d) Explain, “the inhuman dearth of noble natures.” ’
or
(a) What are we doing every day?
(b) Which evil things do we possess and suffer from?
(c) What are the circumstances that contribute towards making humans unhappy and disillusioned with life?
(d) What removes the pall from our dark spirits?

Answer. (a) The poem is ’A thing of beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.
(b) Human life is full of trials and tribulations. We add to our troubles and make our lives more difficult by following evil
ways. We hurt others as well as ourselves. This makes us despondent.
(c) The various objects of beauty around us remove the pall from our dark spirits. Beautiful things have the power to make us
happy.
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(d) The poet here means that the world lacks in men the noble nature or qualities. There are few people who are noble in
character; most of the people are self-centered and pursue evil ways.
or
(a) The memory of beautiful things remains in our minds and strengthens our bond with the Earth. Every day, these bonds get
strengthened by the flowery bands that we prepare.
(b) Humans suffer from hopelessness and sadness. Our poor style of living makes us grim.
(C) Hopelessness, sadness and lack of noble ways are a part of human life. We harm ourselves by following unhealthy and
wicked paths. These circumstances contribute towards making humans unhappy and disillusioned with life.
(d) Anything beautiful in our surroundings or even the memories of our beautiful experiences remove the pall from our dark
spirits.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits,”
(a) How does beauty help us when we are burdened with grief?
(b) Explain; “Some shape of beauty.”
(c) Identify the figure of speech in the above lines.
(d) Why are our spirits referred to as ‘dark’?
Answer. (a) Whenever we look at a beautiful object, we are filled with comfort and joy. When we are burdened with grief, a
thing of beauty comes as a ray of hope, and makes us forget our sorrow and suffering at least for some time.
(b) Beauty is an abstract idea and has no specific shape. The poet here means beauty in some form or some beautiful object
which pleases us.
(c) The above lines present an example of metaphor. Our souls are steeped in sadness and disappointment which are compared
to a pall or shroud covering the dead.
(d) Our spirits are dejected due to extreme sadness and disappointment which may be the result of our own evil actions. So, the
poet refers to them as dark, because of the hopelessness we feel.

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

5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
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Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams and health and quiet breathing
(a) How does a thing of beauty remain a joy forever?
(b) Mention any two sources of joy which a thing, of beauty provides to us.
(c) Explain, “never pass into nothingness.”
(d) What is meant by ‘bower’?
Answer. (a) A thing of beauty provides eternal and everlasting joy to us. Whenever we are in a pensive mood we can relive the
joyful experience and happiness it gave us.
(b) A thing of beauty gives us a quiet bower to rest peacefully, and a blissful sleep full of pleasant dreams.
(c) The joy that a thing of beauty give us is eternal. It never loses its importance, but it only increases with time.
(d) A ‘bower’ refers to a peaceful, quiet place under the shade of trees.

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

1. How do beautiful things help us to live a happy life?

Answer. We derive comfort and happiness when we look at objects of beauty, and the lasting impression they leave on our
minds is a source of permanent joy. Beautiful things bind us to the Earth and help us strengthen our relationship with nature.
They provide us relief from our everyday trials and tribulations and help us live a happy life.

2. What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal drink and why does he call its drink immortal?
Answer. Keats considers nature’s beauty as an endless fountain of immortal drink. He calls this drink immortal as the pleasure
and delight given by it never passes into nothingness. It only increases with time.

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

4. How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort?

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

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

Answer. A thing of beauty is a joy forever because it is a permanent source of joy and inspiration and leaves a lasting
impression on us. The pleasure and happiness given by it never fades away but keeps on increasing.

6. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings? .

Answer. Human beings suffer from hopelessness and sadness. Our style of living often makes us hopeless and grim. We at
times also, suffer due to the self-centered and wicked nature of others. In spite of all our troubles and sufferings, we are able to
derive pleasure from our surroundings. The beautiful objects from nature help us shed our gloom, give us a glimmer of hope,
and make us love life amidst all troubles.

7. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the mighty dead?

Answer. The mighty dead are those who have laid down their lives for a great or noble cause. Their death is replete with

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intellectual and spiritual beauty. Birth, growth and decay, all are inseparable. Each has its own. beauty. Their death is grand or
beautiful because it makes them immortal through the grand tombs and memorials erected in their honor.

8. What is the message of the poem, ‘A thing of beauty’?

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

9. What is the ‘endless fountain’ and what is its effect?

Answer. Here beauty has been referred to as an ‘endless fountain’, which is an eternal source of motivation, an elixir of life
and a precious gift from heaven. It gives us infinite pleasure and delight, and motivates us to continue our journey of life.

10. What images does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the Earth?
Answer. The poet uses the image of an ‘endless fountain’, which showers bounties on Earth. He calls this an ‘immortal drink’
from heaven. The sun, the moon, the trees, the daffodils, the lush green forests and streams, all reflect the beautiful bounties
which God has given us.

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Its loveliness increases, it will never

Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and
quiet breathing.
a) Whose loveliness will keep in increasing?
Answer : The loveliness of beautiful things will keep on increasing.
b) Identify the phrase which says that ‘it’ is immortal.
Answer : The phrase is ‘it will never pass into nothingness’ says that it is immortal.
c) What is a ‘bower’?
Answer : A ‘bower” is a pleasant shady place.
d) Why do we need sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing in our lives?
Answer : We need all these for a sound sleep, as it results in a healthy body and mind, providing us tranquility and mental
peace.

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

And such too is the grandeur of the dooms

We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink
a) Name the poem.
Answer : The poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’.
b) Who are the ‘mighty dead’ referred to here?
Answer : The ‘mighty dead’ referred to here are our ancestors, the great people of the world who are worthy of respect.
c) What is the endless fountain of immortal drink?
Answer : The endless fountain of immortal drink are all the things of beauty that sustain mankind.
d) What does the word, ‘brink’ mean?
Answer : The word ‘brink’ means ‘an edge at the top/the point of onset’.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

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All the lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink.
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.
a) Name the poem and the poet.
Answer : The poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.
b) What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines?
Answer : The thing of beauty mentioned in these lines are the tales we have heard or read describing the glorified sacrifices of
our ancestors.
c) What image does the poet use in these lines?
Answer : The poet draws out the image of an endless fountain of immortal drink that pours joy on us in these lines.
d) What does the word ‘immortal’ mean?
Answer : The word ‘immortal’ means ‘endless’.

4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

And such too is the grandeur of the dooms

We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from heaven’s brink
a) Who are the ‘mighty dead’? How do we know about them?
Answer : Our ancestors, who were great in their own ways and the dead emperors have been referred to as the mighty dead.
We come to know about them by reading or hearing the tales, which speak of their innumerable sacrifices.

b) What images does the poet use to convey that beauty is everlasting?
Answer : ‘Endless fountain’ of joy is the image that has been used by the poet to convey that beauty is everlasting.
c) What is the effect of the immortal drink?
Answer : The immortal drink that nature’s endless fountain pours on us gives us immense joy and pleasure.
d ) Write the words from the extract which mean
i) stories ii) magnificence
Answer: i) tales ii) grandeur

5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth

Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and owed darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of
all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.
a) Name the poem.
Answer : The poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’.
b) Give one cause of human suffering.
Answer : Man lacks noble qualities and his hostile and inhumane nature is the cause of human suffering.
c) What moves away the pall from our lives?
Answer : Nature’s beauty moves away the pall from our lives.
d) What does the word, ‘gloomy’ mean?
Answer : The word ‘gloomy’ means ‘dull or depressed’.

6. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“Some shape of beauty moves away the pall from our dark spirits.”
a) How does beauty help us when we are burdened with grief?
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Answer : Whenever we look at a beautiful object, we are filled with comfort and joy. When we are burdened with grief, a
thing of beauty comes as a ray of hope, and makes us forget our sorrow and suffering at least for some time.
b) Explain : “Some shape of beauty.”
Answer : Beauty is an abstract idea and has no specific shape. The poet here means beauty in some form or some beautiful
object which pleases us.
c) Identify the figure of speech in the above lines.
Answer : The above lines present an example of metaphor.
d) Why are our spirits referred to as ‘dark’?
Answer : Our spirits are dejected due to extreme sadness and disappointment which may be the result of our evil actions. So,
the poet refers to them as dark.

7. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman
dearth Of noble natures,………………
a) What is ‘morrow’?
Answer : ‘Morrow’ means the next day.
b) Why do we need ‘a flowery band’?
Answer : We need a flowery band to bind us to earth and makes us live our life despite the dejection that surrounds us.
c) What is inhuman in life?
Answer : Man’s self-centered nature and his inability to rise above pettiness is inhuman in life.
d) Name the poem and the poet.
Answer : The poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.

8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Therefore, on every morrow, are we

wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman
dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy
days, Of all the unhealthy and
o’er-darkened ways Made for our searching
a) What are we doing every day?
Answer : Every day we are wreathing a flowering band which binds us to the earth and enables us to live life despite the
dejection that surrounds us.
b) Which evil things do we possess and suffer from?
Answer : We suffer from selfishness and self-centeredness due to which there is dearth of noble souls on earth.
c) What are the circumstances that contribute towards making humans unhappy and disillusioned with life?
Answer : Man becomes unhappy and disillusioned because he suffers from pain and hopelessness at various junctures in life.
Also, the lack of nobility in human beings make him unhappy.
d) Name the poem.
Answer : The name of the poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’.

9. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams and health and quiet breathing
a) What are the effects of beautiful things on man’s spirit?

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Answer : A thing of beauty provides eternal and everlasting joy to us. Whenever we are in a sad mood, we can relive the
joyful experience and happiness it gave us.
b) List any two things of beauty mentioned above.
Answer : The two things of beauty mentioned above are ‘bower’ and ‘sleep.’
c) What does the phrase ‘Pass into nothingness’ mean?
Answer : The joy that a thing of beauty gives us is eternal. It never loses its importance, but it only increases with time. This is
meant by ‘never pass into nothingness.’
d) What is meant by ‘bower’?
Answer : A ‘bower’ refers to a quiet, peaceful place under the shade of trees.

Questions

1 : How can ‘mighty dead’ be things of beauty?

Answer : The ‘mighty dead’ refers to our forefathers. the glorious tales of our forefathers fill us with a sense of pride and are
also things of beauty as they fill us with pleasure and motivation.
2 : Which rich bounty has the heaven given us?
Answer : Heaven has given us many bounties. Nature, with its virgin landscape and innocent creatures, imparts indelible
impression of joyful experiences. The world of art and literature provides perennial inspiration in form of stories of the valiant,
which provide succor to us.
3 : Mention any four things of beauty that add joy to our life.
Answer : The four things that add joy to our life are the sun, the moon, the clear streams and old and young trees.
4 : Mention any two things that cause pain and suffering.
Answer : The things which causes pain and suffering are sadness, hopelessness, lack of noble qualities and an unhealthy and
wicked style of living.
5 : Which objects of nature does Keats mention as sources of joy in his poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Answer : The objects of nature mentioned by Keats as sources of joy in his poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ are the sun, the moon,
old and young trees, clear water streams, musk-roses and daffodil flowers.
6 : What does a thing of beauty do for us?
Answer : A thing of beauty adds endless joy to our life and helps us to come out of sadness and hopelessness. The memory of
such a thing gives us everlasting happiness. It also provides us shelter and comfort in many ways.
7 : What makes human beings love life in spite of all troubles they face?
Answer : Human beings love life in spite of all the troubles they face because of all the things of beauty which surround them.
These things remove their despondent state and allow them to enjoy the beauty of nature.
8 : How do beautiful things help us to live a happy life?
Answer : We derive comfort and happiness when we look at objects of beauty, and the lasting impression they leave on our
minds is a source of permanent joy. They provide us relief from our everyday trails and tribulations and help us live a happy
life.
9 : What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal drink and why does he call its drink immortal?
Answer : Keats considers nature’s beauty as an endless fountain of immortal drink. He calls this drink immortal as the
pleasure and delight given by it never ends and only increases with time.
10 : According to Keats, what spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is it removed?
Answer : As per Keats, the pall of despondence is caused by man’s actions. A thing of beauty works miracles and gets rid of
the cover/pall of sadness.
11 : How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort?
Answer : A thing of beauty provides shelter and comfort in many ways. It is like a bower as it gives us a sleep filled with
sweet dreams and helps us in forgetting our worries.
12 : How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?
Answer : A thing of beauty is a joy forever because it is a permanent source of joy and inspiration and leaves a lasting
impression on us. The pleasure and happiness given by it never fades away but keeps on increasing
13 : Why does a thing of beauty never pass into nothingness?
Answer : The joy provided by a thing of beauty is everlasting. It leaves an indelible imprint on our mind. Its loveliness
increases manifold each time we think about it and thus we are forever able to relieve the joyful experience.
14 : Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the mighty dead?

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Answer : Grandeur is associated to the mighty dead because of their great deeds and achievements. Their achievements make
their lives extraordinary. Therefore, their grandeur is a thing of beauty that is a source of inspiration for others.
15 : What is the message of the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Answer : The message of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ is that beautiful things are a source of constant joy and inspiration.
They give us eternal pleasure and leave an indelible mark on our minds and, therefore, every beautiful thing is worth being
treasured.
16 : What images does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Answer : The poet uses the image of an ‘endless fountain’, which showers bounties on earth. He calls this an ‘immortal drink’
from heaven and it consists of the beautiful things in nature.

A Roadside Stand
Lesson Architecture
• Author Biography
• Theme
• Stanza-wise Explanation with paraphrase
• Recapitulation
• Literary Devices
• NCERT Solution
Author Biography /Robert Frost (1874-1963)
• A highly acclaimed American poet of the twentieth century.
• Robert Frost wrote about characters, people and landscapes.
• His poems are concerned with human tragedies and fears, his reaction to the complexities of life and his
ultimate acceptance of his burdens.
• Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, Birches, Mending walls are a few of his well-known poems.
• In the poem A Roadside Stand, Frost presents the lives of poor & deprived rural people with the deepest
sympathy and humanity.

Theme:
•
The poem conveys to us the distrust of city-dwellers by the poet.
•
They are extremely selfish and have no community feeling.
•
City-dwellers lack compassion and concern towards their village counterparts.
•
Frost wants all human beings to cultivate the value of fellow-feeling and empathy.
•
Disparity between the rich & the poet must be addressed.
•
The economic well-being of a country depends on balanced development of villages and the cities.
Stanza-wise Explanation

(Lines 1-6)

The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,||
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
Vocabulary:
•Out with – extended
•traffic sped – Vehicles move speedily.
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•pathetically pled: A roadside shop is pleading for some cash. (Personification)
• dole of bread: for a living.
•flower of cities: extra cash flow that helps cities to flourish.
•sinking and withering faint: Cash flow that supports city business and prevents it from any business failure.

Note: Flower of Cities: In the last line the phrase ‘Flower of Cities’ is a metaphor. Just as flowers are kept from withering
with extra care, similarly extra cash flow helps cities to flourish. So flower of cities meansthe growth of city business.

Paraphrase:
• The little old house, the roadside stand, existed on the roadside to make a living out of the city money. The
owners of the roadside stand expected to attract the rich city men by extending the shed closer to the road.
• The sole expectation of the roadside people is the flow of city-money into their hands. But their expectations
are never fulfilled as the city-going people are not kind enough to stop for a while to buy their produce. Hence
a pathetic existence for the roadside stand. ||
• The roadside owners of the shed do not want just bread or the basic amenities of life but a source of alternate
income to liberate them from their hand-to-mouth existence.
(Lines 7-13)
The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,
Or if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts ||
At having the landscape marred with the artless paint
Of signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong ||
Offered for sale wild berries in wooden quarts,
Or crook-necked golden squash with silver warts,
Or beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene,
Vocabulary:
•polished traffic– The so-called refined city-going people.
•with a mind ahead : their minds were restless with greed for money
•out of sorts– city people feel uneasy as they think presence of roadside shed mars the beauty of landscape.
•Signs with S turned wrong and N turned wrong: The owner of the stand being illiterate has erected the board with wrong
spelling with S and N inverted.
•beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene : Beauty resting in a mountain scene is probably a scenic painting made by the
inhabitants of the roadside stand meant for selling to the rich people.

Paraphrase:
• The city people who passed by the roadside stand were busy with their own thoughts for earning profit in their
business and were not kind enough to stop their vehicles and buy the products of the roadside shops.
• The city-going people if ever they stop for a moment, they complain that the roadside stand, with its artless
paint, ruined the beauty of nature. ||
• Another complaint is that the letters like ‘N’ and ‘S’ of the sign posts are wrongly written.
• The owner of the roadside shop being illiterate, has erected the signpost with S and N inverted. ||
• The articles for sale at the roadside stand are Wild berries in wooden containers, crook-necked golden squash
with silver warts and paintings of mountain scenery which are for sale at the roadside stand.
LINES 14-17
You have the money,
but if you want to be mean,
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Why keep your money (this crossly) and go along. The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint ||
So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid. ||
Vocabulary:
Crossly: angrily.
trusting sorrow : sorrow due to fake promises made by the rich people.

Paraphrase:
• Being angry at the indifferent attitude of the so-called ‘polished traffic‘, the poet asks them to move ahead
without noticing the road-side stand.
• The poet further regrets that the damage caused by roadside people to nature as claimed by city-dwellers is
not a serious concern. ||
• But what is serious and matter of concern is the sorrow resulting out of the fake promises by city-dwellers to
buy the products of roadside shops.
• They hardly stop to buy and therefore, the economical status of the poor people remain where it is. This is
what is the meaning of ‘trusting sorrow of what is unsaid.’
Lines (18-22)
Here far from the city we make our roadside stand
And ask for some city money to feel in hand ||
To try if it will not make our being expand, ||
And give us the life of the moving-pictures’ promise
That the party in power is said to be keeping from us. ||

Vocabulary:
• if it will not make our being expand : extra inflow of cash would improve the financial status of the poor
villagers.
• life of the moving-pictures : Standard lifestyles as shown in movies.
• party in power : Ruling political party.
Paraphrase:
• The village people ask for some city cash because they want to feel it in hand ||
• and want to try if that generosity from city-people in buying their products would enable them to make
financial progress. ||
• The poor villagers have opened the roadside shops with expectations that their products would bring them
some cash and bring about some improvement in their lifestyles as are shown on some movies.
• The poet further says that political parties have not yet provided the lifestyles that they promised to the people
of villages while seeking votes.
• Village people are merely used as vote banks and therefore become victims of false promises.
Lines (23-26)
It is in the news that all these pitiful kin
Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore,
Vocabulary:
• Pitiful Kin: Here the village people.
• to be bought out and mercifully gathered: Poor people were given assurance to live in village next to theatre
and multiplexes etc.
Paraphrase
• The poet highlights the news that all these pitiful farmers are to be bought out and gathered in to live in
villages where theatres, stores, malls, multiplexes shall come up. In that case, they will not have worries of
life.
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 • The so-called civic authorities assured the village folk that their economic status would improve once they live
near the theatres, multiplexes etc.
• These fake promises are just an illusion for the poor rural people.

Lines (27-31)
While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,
Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits
That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits, ||
And by teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day,
Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way.

Vocabulary:
• good-doers: Apparent benefactors.
• beasts of prey: Here authorities who claim to give them benefits.
• out of their wits: they claim themselves brilliant.
• ancient way. In the old way.

Paraphrase:
• Greedy good-doers and beasts of prey are the civic authorities who exploit the innocent village folk by giving
them a short-term sense of security.
• They swarm over their lives These unprincipled people shall proclaim to provide these farmer various
facilities. ||
• But in reality they will destroy their sleep and make their lives a living hell by snatching those material things
from the rural people.
Lines 32-37
Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear
The thought of so much childish longing in vain, ||
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer
For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass. ||
Vocabulary:
1.childish longing in vain: village people’s futile expectations for city money.
2.sadness that lurks: Suffering that lies in waiting for a customer to appear.
3.selfish cars: Because city-goers don’t stop to buy products of roadside shops.

Paraphrase:
• The poet says that he can hardly bear the endless wait of the village folks for prospective customers from the
city.
• The poor people’s futile expectation for the city money has been compared to children’s longing for things
beyond their reach. ||
• In the phrase ‘sadness that lurks’ sadness has been personified as it lies in wait near the open window praying
for a city customer to arrive and enquire the price of the village people’s products.
Lines 38-43
Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are.
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And one did stop, but only to plow up grass
In using the yard to back and turn around;
And another to ask the way to where it was bound;
And another to ask could they sell it a gallon of gas ||
They couldn’t (this crossly); they had none, didn’t it see? ||
Vocabulary:
1. plow up grass: While taking reverse gear and turning vehicles or to ask for directions, city goers plow up a cloud of
grass.
2. gallon of gas: fuel for the city vehicles.
3. they had none: Village people did not have fuel for vehicles to sell.

Paraphrase:
• If any city-goer ever stops at the roadside stand, it is either to reverse his car, to ask for directions or to ask if
he could buy fuel for his car. ||
• they had none: Village people did not have fuel for vehicles to sell.
• With every passing selfish car that stops, the farmer’s hope rises, only to be disappointed.
• None of them seems to be considerate enough to buy the products from roadside stand. This makes the village
folk at the roadside stand cross (angry).
Lines 44-48
No, in country money, the country scale of gain,
The requisite lift of spirit has never been found, ||
Or so the voice of the country seems to complain. ||
I can’t help owning the great relief it would be
To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.

VOCABULARY:
• country scale of gain: Required quantity of money falls short.
• requisite lift of spirit: Money is considered a catalyst to raise spirit of village folk.
• voice of the country: Here the demand of village folk.
Paraphrase:
• Country money is the small income that the poor village folks make. It cannot be compared to the affluence of
the rich in cities
• Village people estimate their economic growth by means of the small profit at hand. (Country scale of gain)
• With such a meagre(small) income and small profit earned, village people could never experience ‘lift of
spirit’ as small income can never give additional lift to one’s spirit. ||
• The poet wishes to lift the poor people out of their pain, poverty and endless miseries. But as the reality is
different, he is sad and thinks that death at one stroke can end all their grief and suffering.
Lines 49-51
And then next day as I come back into the sane,
I wonder how I should like you to come to me
And offer to put me gently out of my pain.
VOCABULARY:
1. into the sane: As I come to my senses.
2. out of my pain: The poet’s pain is that the poor people are still waiting for the rich people’s generosity and that the rich
people never help the poor people. He is also sad that his insane dreams of the poor people helped by a stroke were only
dreams.

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Paraphrase:
• But next morning when he came to senses, he realized that his earlier thought of death being the only solution
to come out poverty is useless and decided that govt/civic bodies can only uplift the miserable condition of the
village folks.
• The poet’s pain is the yawning(huge) gap between the rich and the poor.
• The poet appeals to party in power to relieve these farmers out of their pains.

Recapitulation:
• The poem is about roadside temporary sheds that come up on both sides of the national or state highways.
• They serve the road users with food and other items.
• The poem depicts Robert Frost’s scathing criticism of unequal society where there is a huge division between
the rich and the poor owing to unequal distribution of wealth.
• The poem draws our attention towards lives of these poor people and our sympathy towards them.
• The poem thus highlights the government apathy towards the economic plight of these rural people.

Literary Devices

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NCERT Solution:

Think it out ( Page 102)

1. The city folk who drove through the countryside hardly paid any heed to the roadside stand or to the people who ran
it. If at all they did, it was to complain. Which lines bring this out? What was their complaint about?

Ans: The city folks did not stop their vehicles at these new sheds to show some interest for these rural folks. Their complaining
attitude is reflected in 'the polished traffic passed with a mind ahead.'' Their implied complaint is seen in the landscape being
marred with signs like N or S turned wrong.

2. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?

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Ans: The plea of the folks was that 'the party in power' did not pay any attention to their pathetic plights. They needed the money
in cash which would bring miracles in their lives. The city dwellers do not stop on the highway while racing past their village.

3. The government and other social service agencies appear to help the poor rural people, but actually do them no good.
Pick out the words and phrases that the poet uses to show their double standards.
Ans: The following are the words and phrases that the poet uses to show double standards from government and social service
agencies....
(i) the party in power is said to be keeping from us.'
(ii) beneficent beasts of prey/swarm over their lives.
(iii) to soothe them out of their wits.
(iv) Destroy their sleeping....

4. What is the ‘childish longing’ that the poet refers to? Why is it ‘vain’?
The childish longing of the poet is that these city folks shall stop their vehicles near these newly extended little sheds and buy
some things. That will generate some income for these village folks. But it is all 'vain' as they do not stop and simply pass ahead.

5. Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor?

Ans: The following lines point to the insufferable pain of the poet at the thought of the plight of the rural poor.
I wonder how I should like you to come to me
And offer to put me gently out of my pain.
The poet’s pain is that the poor people are still waiting for the rich people’s generosity and that the rich people never help the
poor people. He is also sad that his insane dreams of the poor people helped by a stroke were only dreams.

Extra Questions

1. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stands?

Ans: The little shed was added to the old house to accommodate the selling of the farm produce by the farmers. The folks were
poor. They wanted to have some money in their hands. It was to pull on with life and to make some sort of economic progress.

2. What 'promises' does the government or the party in power hold for these 'pitiful kin' that is in the news?

Ans: It is in the news that these pitiful kin shall live in villages. Theatres, stories, malls, multiplexes etc shall be built for them.
Living there they won't have to worry about anything and shall lead contented lives.

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 3. What is the poet's 'open prayer' for these village folks? What actually happened? What ,ade the poet feel about this
longing?

Ans: The poet's 'open prayer' is that the road users shall stop their cars and inquire about the farmers' prices to buy some things.
But none stopped and this made the poet feel sad about his 'longing' that things would be bought by them.

4. what would be the great relief for the poet in the context of the village folks?

Ans The poet says that he would be happy to own the great relief if the pains of the village folks are removed at one one stroke
only. The poet wishes to lift the poor people out of their pain, poverty and endless miseries. But as the reality is different, he is
sad and thinks that death at one stroke can end all their grief and suffering. However, he appeals to party in power to relieve
these farmers out of their pains.

5. How did the village folks mar the landscapes as claimed by the city-dwellers?

Ans: The city-going people if ever they stop for a moment, they complain that the roadside stand, with its artless paint, ruined
the beauty of nature. Another complaint is that the letters like ‘N’ and ‘S’ of the sign posts are wrongly written. The owner of
the roadside shop being illiterate, has erected the signpost with S and N inverted.

A Roadside Stand
ROBERT FROST

Analysis 01

The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled…
1. Why was the ‘little old house’ extended towards the road?
The little old house, the roadside stand, existed on the roadside to make a living out of the city money. The owners of the
roadside stand expected to attract the rich city men by extending the stand closer to the road.
2. Which traffic is referred to here? Why are they ‘speeding?’
The traffic referred to here is the cars and other vehicles of the rich people from and to various cities. These rich city men are
in great hurry to make money by doing business in the city.
3. Why is the Stand’s existence said to be ‘pathetic?’
The roadside stand’s sole expectation is the flow of city-money into their hands. But their expectations are never fulfilled as
the rich men are not considerate about them and hence a pathetic existence for the roadside stand.

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 Analysis 02

It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread

But for some of the city money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint…
Meaning

• Dole: Piece, City money: Big amount of money

Questions & Answers

1. Why is it unfair to say that these people are begging for a ‘dole of bread?’
One may think that the poor people at the roadside stand are beggars. But they are not. Unlike the beggars, who beg
unconditionally, shamelessly and sometimes unreasonably, the people of the roadside stand have something to sell, some
information to share and a noble reason behind their begging.
2. What do the poor people really expect from the rich?
The poor people expect a small share of the money from the rich people.
3. How do the poor people look at the city money?
For the poor people at the roadside stand money is very essential for growth and survival. It boosts the growth of the city and
the city people.
4. What is the flower of the cities? How?
Prosperity/growth is the flower of the cities. As the flower is the crowning glory of a plant, growth becomes the flower of a
city.
The city men – rich enough to be insensitive to the sufferers – pass by, in their cars. While passing by the raodside stand, they
grow angry and speed away, cursing the poor lot.

Analysis 03

The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead

Or, if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
At having the landscape marred with the artless paint
Of signs with S turned wrong and N turned wrong…
Questions & Answers

1. What do you mean by ‘polished traffic?

Polished traffic portrays the insensitive attitude and gentlemanly appearances of the city-men. They appear to be ‘polished’
outside but their minds do not understand the sufferings of the poor people.
2. Explain, ‘passed with a mind ahead.’
The city people who passed by the roadside stand were self-centered and their minds were restless with greed for money and
ambitions for great profits in their business.
3. What are the usual complaints made by the city men when they stop at the roadside stand?
The rich people to and from the cities usually have the same sets of complaints. Having failed to see the wretchedness of the
poor, they complain that the roadside stand, with its artless paint, ruined the beauty of the nature. Another complaint is that the
letters are wrongly written.
4. How senseless do the rich men’s complaints sound to the poor people?
For the poor people of the roadside stand, the rich men’s complaints, that the landscape is distorted with their poor sense of
color, that they sell poor quality fruits and that they have a low literacy level, sound to be childish and infuriating
and senseless.
5. How did the poor people “mar” the landscape?
The poor people mar/ruin the beauty of the landscape by putting up on the roadside. Their houses are painted in the most
unprofessional manner with the most mismatching paint.

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6. What does ‘of signs with S turned wrong and N turned wrong’ convey?
The Roadside STAND has an S and an N in Stand. The owner of the stand is illiterate so he has erected the board with wrong
spelling with S and N inverted.
Analysis 04

Offered for sale are wild berries in wooden quarts

Or crook necked golden squash with silver warts,
Or beauty rest in a mountain scene…
Questions & Answers

1. What articles are ‘offered for sale’ at the stand?

Wild berries in wooden containers, crooked-necked golden squash with silver warts and paintings of mountain scenery are for
sale at the roadside stand.
2. What qualities of the ‘offered articles’ make them unfit for sale?
The articles for sale at the roadside stand are wild and therefore lack the polished look of the similar articles available in the
cities. Moreover, these articles are not packaged properly and they are far expensive than those in the cities.
3. What does, ‘beauty rest in a mountain scene’ mean?
Beauty resting in a mountain scene is probably a scenic painting made by the inhabitants of the roadside stand meant for
selling to the rich people.

Analysis 05

You have the money, but if you want to be mean

Why, keep your money (this angrily) and go along.
Questions & Answers

1. What do the poor people of the roadside stand feel when the citymen decline from buying anything?
When the rich city men decline to buy articles from the roadside stand, the poor runners of the stand feel dejected and angry.
They ask the city men to keep their money with them and leave the roadside stand without further bargain or comments.
2. How do the rich people behave meanly in front of the roadside stand?
3. Do you justify the poor people’s growing angry with the rich people’s attitude? Explain your stand.
Analysis 06

The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint

So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:
Questions & Answers

1. Why is the poet’s complaint different from that of the rich city men?
The rich city men have their hollow complaints that come out of their failure to understand the core level struggles of the poor.
But the poet is concerned for the poor and therefore his complaints are relevant.
2. What do you mean by the trusting sorrow of the poor people?
The poor people are instinctively sensitive and expectant to the promises of the rich and the mighty. They believe their hollow
promises and wait for their realization. But finally their hopes give way to the miserable realization that the promises made by
the rich are not meant to be fulfilled.
3. What do you understand when the poet says that the trusting sorrow of the poor people is ‘unsaid?’
The poor people place their trust in the fake promises of the rich people and the ruling parties and consequently become
sorrowful. The poet complains that this sorrow of the poor people has not been brought to the serious concern of the concerned
authorities, media and the public.

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 Analysis 07

Here, far from the city we make our roadside stand

And ask for some city money to feel in hand
To try it will (not) make our being expand…
• Feel in hand: The poor people do not want promises. They want the promises fulfilled. Feel money in hand is different from
having money between the giver and the taker – Being: Life – Expand: Improve
Questions & Answers

1. What do the people at the roadside stand expect from the rich? What for?
The poor people at the roadside stand expect the generosity of the rich city people. They hope to alleviate their poverty by
getting money from the city people.
2. How is feeling in hand different from the false promises of the parties?
Feeling in hand means possessing what the parties in power have promised, not owning mere promises. If one feels the
promised money in hand, it means he has acquired it rather than being fooled by the parties that have given them the promises.
3. What is city money? How is city money expected to help the poor people?
Unlike the meager amount of money possessed by the poor villager, city money is considerably huge. The city money is
expected by the poor villager not only to alleviate his wretched state of poverty, but also to give his a considerable financial
rise in life.
Analysis 08

And give us the life of the moving pictures’ promise

That the party in power is said to be keeping from us.
Questions & Answers

1. What are moving pictures? What kind of life is promised by the ‘moving pictures?
The movies the poor people have watched are full of promises for them. In those movies they saw people who journeyed from
poverty to prosperity.
2. What do ‘the parties in power’ ‘keep from the poor people?
The governments and the corrupted politicians keep the share and the allotted rights of the poor people away from them and
use that for their selfish motives.
3. How are the rich politicians responsible for the misery of the poor people?
The rich and corrupted politicians keep the money assigned by the government for the poor people in their own malicious
hands and make selfish use of them, thus depriving the poor people of their rights, happiness and all that they deserve.

Analysis 09

It is in the news that all these pitiful kin

Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
To live in villages, next to the theater and the store,
Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore…
Questions & Answers

1. What is the good news for the poor people?

The media keep on advertising that the governments are planning schemes for the welfare of the poor people.
2. Do you think the ‘good news’ for the poor people’ ever come true? Why?
No, the promises of the governments for the poor people are not seriously meant and therefore most of them remain just
promises and are forgotten. This happens because these promises are the election baits and the bureaucratic trick to exhort
money in the name of the poor people.
3. Who are the pitiful kin? Why are they called so?
4. What are the promises made by the politicians?
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 Analysis 10

While greedy good doers, beneficent beasts of prey,

Swarm over their lives, enforcing benefits
That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits…
1. Who are the greedy good doers? What is the irony in the ‘greedy good-doers?’
The business class and the political parties and leaders are the greedy good-doers mentioned here. A greedy person cannot be a
good doer. These good doers intend to make money out of the poor people by appearing beneficent to them.
2. What does ‘beneficent beast of prey’ imply?
Similar to ‘greedy good-doers,’ ‘the beneficent beasts of prey’ is also an indication to the greedy people who make money in
the name of social and political and charitable works.
3. How do the rich ‘enforce benefits’ on the poor?
In business, promises wrapped up in glossy appearances have great value. The rich business people convince the poor of the
advantages of their new schemes and promotions and make them buy their products and be their customers.
4. What sort of calculation is made to ‘soothe the wits of the poor?’ Does this calculation work? How?
The business minded city people attract the poor people with their well-planned promotional offers and promises. These
promises and offers are such a way calculated that the poor people cannot escape the traps of the rich. The business man’s
calculations work well as there is a more efficient brain behind all these promises.
Analysis 11

And (by) teaching them how to sleep, they sleep all day,
Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way…
Questions & Answers

1. Who teach the poor people to sleep? How?

The rich people through their alluring promises of peace of mind and prosperity in life teach the poor people sleep.
2. Are the poor able to sleep? Why? Who are really able to sleep?
The poor people are unable to sleep as promised by the rich as the promises were not meant to be. On the contrary the rich
people are able to sleep peacefully with the satisfaction of making themselves richer by exploiting the poor.
3. How do the influential rich destroy the sleep of the poor? How is this done in the ancient times?
The influential rich people give the poor great promises and exploit them to make profit out of them. This destroys the sleep of
the poor people. This method of the rich and mighty is as old as the human civilizations.

Analysis 12

Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear

The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer…

Questions & Answers

1. What is the childish longing? Why is it in vain?

The poor people’s uncertain and futile expectation for the city money is the childish longing. It is in vain as the rich city people
do not have the generosity to help them. OR: Children long to achieve things beyond their reach; but never get them. The poor
people’s expectation that the rich people would give them money is their childish longing. it is in vain because the hard-
hearted rich people never give them a penny.
2. Why can’t the poet bear the childish longing of the poor people?
The poet is a true humanitarian who is genuinely concerned for the poor people’s misfortunes. He wants a solution for their
poverty. But seeing how childish their longings are, the poet feels it unbearable.
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3. What sadness remains at the window of the roadside stand?
There is a sadness of helplessness, of unfulfilled promises and of being fooled by the parties in power remaining near the
roadside stand.
4. What is the prayer of the open window?
The open window is praying for a generous traveler stopping at the stand to buy something and paying a generous amount to
alleviate the distress of the poor people.
5. Why is the ‘open window’ said to be in ‘open prayer’ for the city people’s generosity?
The open window of the roadside stand has acquired the attitude of poor people of the roadside stand. Just like the people, the
window also expects the city-men to stop their cars to help the poor people.

Analysis 13

For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car

Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass
Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are…
Questions & Answers

1. How do the poor people react to the squeal of brake in front of the roadside stand?
At the sound of the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car, the poor people at the stand feel their spirits cheered at the
possible arrival of a customer to buy their things.
2. Why are the cars called ‘selfish cars?
The cars are selfish because the people who travel in them are self-centered.
3. What do you understand by ‘farmer’s prices?’ Who want to know that? Possibly why?
Farmer’s prices refer to the wages for which the farmer could be hired to work in the city. Farmer’s prices can also refer to the
prices of the berries, squash and paintings displayed at the roadside stand for sale.
4. What make you think that the city men stopped at the roadside stand to hire farmers to work in the city and that
farmer’s price refers to the per head wages to be paid to a farmer for working in the city?

Analysis 14

And one did stop, but only to plow up grass

In using the yard to back and turn around;
And another to ask the way to where it was bound;
And another to ask, “could you sell a gallon of gas?”
Questions & Answers

1. How do the city men plow up grass in the yard of the roadside stand?
The insensitive and selfish city men drive their cars into the yard of the roadside stand to back and turn it around, leaving a
huge cloud of grass plowed up.
2. What is the most queer demand of the rich man at the roadside stand? How is it queer?
The insensitive city man demands a gallon of gas at the roadside stand. This is queer because the city man is not aware of the
fact that the poor man cannot provide him with expensive items such as gas.
3. Why are the poor people angry with the city men when they ask for gas?
The roadside stand has the store of wild berries, squash and paintings which are never bought buy the city men. On the
contrary the city men require a gallon of gas and the roadside stand does not have it for sale. This helplessness make the poor
people angry.

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 Analysis 15

They couldn’t (this crossly), they had none, didn’t it see?

No, in country, money, the country scale of gain,
The requisite lift of sprint, has never been found.
Meaning

• They – The villagers

• Crossly – Angrily
• They had none – They had no gas to sell
• Didn’t it see – Haven’t you seen?
• Requisite lift of spirit – The most important thing to make one feel confident and safe (money)
Questions & Answers

1. Why do the people at the roadside stand talk ‘crossly’ with the rich people?
The poor people sometimes become angry with the rich people. The latter refuse to buy the wild berries at the stand at a price
demanded by the owners of the stand. They indulge in bargain and blame the berries and squash. But the poor, who know the
rich people are so mean, grow angry at their unwillingness to help them by parting with a little amount of their money.
2. How is money important for the village people?
The village people think that money is important for growth in the village. They hope to make improvements in their wretched
state of life.
3. What are the two significant roles of money in the lives of the poor people?
Money is the measuring rode of growth for the village people. They estimate their economic growth by means of the small
amount of money at hand. Similarly, money is necessary for a villager to feel confident. He feels a ‘lift of spirit’ with money in
reach.
4. How does money become the ‘requisite lift of spirit for the country men?
Money is the most important requirement for man in the modern world. If one has money at hand then he feels confident and a
feeling of his spirit being lifted.
5. Why is money never found in the villages?
It is a common truth that countryside is backward and therefore it remains poor and penniless. Moreover the country folks are
easy targets of the politicians and business-men and therefore they are easily cheated and looted. Besides, if these poor people
are given money then they will migrate to prosperous cities or make a city in the place of their village.

Analysis 16

Or, so, the voice of the country seems to complain.

I can’t help owning the great relief it would be
To put these people at one stroke out of their pain…
Meaning

• The voice of the country – Cry of the poor villagers

• I can’t help owning the great relief it would be – I keep on feeling an unreal relief of the villagers
• At one stroke – Instantly
Questions & Answers

1. What is the voice of the country?

The voice of the country is that the rich people have no concern for them, and that they are being exploited, cheated and given
false promises by the parties in power, and that there is no end for their miseries.

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2. Why can’t the poet help ‘own’ the relief of helping the poor out of their poverty at one stroke?
The poet wants to see that the poor people are given some kind of help and support by the rich people but he knows that this
would not happen. When he fails to see this, he allows himself to dream that these poor people have been helped by some
supernatural powers to alleviate their miseries.
3. What kind of a relief does the poet dream for the poor people?
The poet dreams of a supernatural help for the poor people, a touch of magic or the like, so that the poor people will be
redeemed from their state of poverty and misery instantly.
4. Why does the poet seek an unrealistic solution for the poor people’s distress even though he himself blamed them
earlier for their ‘childish longing in vain?’
The poet, unlike the greedy good-doers, genuinely wishes to get the poor people out of their pain, poverty and endless miseries
but he is sad and helpless to see that there is no one to help them come out of their poverty. This helplessness drives the poet to
seek an unrealistic solution for the poor people’s misery.

Analysis 17

And then next day as I come back into the sane,

I wonder how I should like you to come to me
And offer to put me out of my pain.
Meaning

• As I come back into the sane – As I come back to my senses/reality

• My pain – My pain is the sufferings/plight of the poor people
• Put me out of my pain – I hope you the rich promise to open your hands for these poor people
Questions & Answers

1. What does the poet see when he comes back into his senses?
The poet sees the city cars still passing without feelings, the helplessness of the poor people and the endless misery of the
people at the roadside stand.
2. What does the poet want his readers do for him?
The poet is greatly distressed that the poor people are not helped by the government and rich people. He finally resorts to some
heavenly help for the poor by which their poverty would be removed. But soon he realizes how childish his dreams are seeing
that the poor haven’t improved. At this point the poet wants his readers to promise him to help the poor.
3. What is the poet’s pain?
The poet’s pain is that the poor people are still waiting for the rich people’s generosity and that the rich people never help the
poor people. He is also sad that his insane dreams of the poor people helped by a stroke were only dreams.
4. How can his readers remove the poet’s pain?
The readers can get the poet out of his pain by offering to help the poor people.

A Roadside Stand (More questions)

ROBERT FROST
The Roadside Stand by Robert Frost tells the sad plight of economically underfed people who are often fooled by the cunning
people who are responsible for their pathetic existence. The poet cannot bear their sadness so he sympathizes with them.

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 Stanza 1

The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled…

Meaning

• Out with – Extended

• Traffic – Vehicles
• Sped – Passed in great haste and speed
• Roadside stand – a little shed that sells cheap essentials for the passersby

Questions & Answers

1. Why was the ‘little old house’ extended towards the road?
The little old house, the roadside stand, existed on the roadside to make a living out of the city money. The owners of
the roadside stand expected to attract the rich city men by extending the stand closer to the road.
2. Which traffic is referred to here? Why are they ‘speeding?’
The traffic referred to here is the cars and other vehicles of the rich people from and to various cities. These rich city
men are in great hurry to make money by doing business in the city.
3. Why is the Stand’s existence said to be ‘pathetic?’
The roadside stand’s sole expectation is the flow of city-money into their hands. But their expectations are never
fulfilled as the rich men are not considerate about them and hence a pathetic existence for the roadside stand.

Stanza 2

It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread

But for some of the city money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint…

Meaning

• Dole: Piece, City money: Big amount of money

Questions & Answers

1. Why is it unfair to say that these people are begging for a ‘dole of bread?’
One may think that the poor people at the roadside stand are beggars. But they are not. Unlike the beggars, who beg
unconditionally, shamelessly and sometimes unreasonably, the people of the roadside stand have something to sell,
some information to share and a noble reason behind their begging.
2. What do the poor people really expect from the rich?
The poor people expect a small share of the money from the rich people.
3. How do the poor people look at the city money?
For the poor people at the roadside stand money is very essential for growth and survival. It boosts the growth of the
city and the city people.
4. What is the flower of the cities? How?
Prosperity/growth is the flower of the cities. As the flower is the crowning glory of a plant, growth becomes the flower
of a city.

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The city men – rich enough to be insensitive to the sufferers – pass by, in their cars. While passing by the raodside stand, they
grow angry and speed away, cursing the poor lot.

Stanza 3

The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead

Or, if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
At having the landscape marred with the artless paint
Of signs with S turned wrong and N turned wrong…

Questions & Answers

1. What do you mean by ‘polished traffic?

Polished traffic portrays the insensitive attitude and gentlemanly appearances of the city-men. They appear to be
‘polished’ outside but their minds do not understand the sufferings of the poor people.
2. Explain, ‘passed with a mind ahead.’
The city people who passed by the roadside stand were self-centered and their minds were restless with greed for
money and ambitions for great profits in their business.
3. What are the usual complaints made by the city men when they stop at the roadside stand?
The rich people to and from the cities usually have the same sets of complaints. Having failed to see the wretchedness
of the poor, they complain that the roadside stand, with its artless paint, ruined the beauty of the nature. Another
complaint is that the letters are wrongly written.
4. How senseless do the rich men’s complaints sound to the poor people?
For the poor people of the roadside stand, the rich men’s complaints, that the landscape is distorted with their poor
sense of color, that they sell poor quality fruits and that they have a low literacy level, sound to be childish and
infuriating and senseless.
5. How did the poor people “mar” the landscape?
The poor people mar/ruin the beauty of the landscape by putting up on the roadside. Their houses are painted in the
most unprofessional manner with the most mismatching paint.
6. What does ‘of signs with S turned wrong and N turned wrong’ convey?
The Roadside STAND has an S and an N in Stand. The owner of the stand is illiterate so he has erected the board with
wrong spelling with S and N inverted.

Stanza 4

Offered for sale are wild berries in wooden quarts

Or crook necked golden squash with silver warts,
Or beauty rest in a mountain scene…

Questions & Answers

1. What articles are ‘offered for sale’ at the stand?

Wild berries in wooden containers, crook-necked golden squash with silver warts and paintings of mountain scenery
are for sale at the roadside stand.
2. What qualities of the ‘offered articles’ make them unfit for sale?
The articles for sale at the roadside stand are wild and therefore lack the polished look of the similar articles available
in the cities. Moreover, these articles are not packaged properly and they are far expensive than those in the cities.
3. What does, ‘beauty rest in a mountain scene’ mean?
Beauty resting in a mountain scene is probably a scenic painting made by the inhabitants of the roadside stand meant
for selling to the rich people.

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 4. Will someone change the life of these poor people? Will the city folks ever learn manners? Will they have
sympathy for the poor? Will some magic occur and the life of the poor be different?
It is not very easy to answer all that in a page. You will have to jump to another page from here. Learn all that you
need to learn about the poor folks and decide if the rich are wrong or the poor are wrong.

Stanza 5

You have the money, but if you want to be mean

why, keep your money (this angrily) and go along.

Questions & Answers

1. What do the poor people of the roadside stand feel when the city men decline from buying anything?
When the rich city men decline to buy articles from the roadside stand, the poor runners of the stand feel dejected and
angry. They ask the city men to keep their money with them and leave the roadside stand without further bargain or
comments.
2. How do the rich people behave meanly in front of the roadside stand?
3. Do you justify the poor people’s growing angry with the rich people’s attitude? Explain your stand.

Stanza 6

The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint

So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:

Questions & Answers

1. Why is the poet’s complaint different from that of the rich city men?
The rich city men have their hollow complaints that come out of their failure to understand the core level struggles of
the poor. But the poet is concerned for the poor and therefore his complaints are relevant.
2. What do you mean by the trusting sorrow of the poor people?
The poor people are instinctively sensitive and expectant to the promises of the rich and the mighty. They believe their
hollow promises and wait for their realization. But finally, their hopes give way to the miserable realization that the
promises made by the rich are not meant to be fulfilled.
3. What do you understand when the poet says that the trusting sorrow of the poor people is ‘unsaid?’
The poor people place their trust in the fake promises of the rich people and the ruling parties and consequently
become sorrowful. The poet complains that this sorrow of the poor people has not been brought to the serious concern
of the concerned authorities, media and the public.

Stanza 7

Here, far from the city we make our roadside stand

And ask for some city money to feel in hand
To try it will (not) make our being expand…

Meaning

• Feel in hand: The poor people do not want promises. They want the promises fulfilled. Feel money in hand is different from
having money between the giver and the taker – Being: Life – Expand: Improve

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Questions & Answers

1. What do the people at the roadside stand expect from the rich? What for?
The poor people at the roadside stand expect the generosity of the rich city people. They hope to alleviate their poverty
by getting money from the city people.
2. How is feeling in hand different from the false promises of the parties?
Feeling in hand means possessing what the parties in power have promised, not owning mere promises. If one feels the
promised money in hand, it means he has acquired it rather than being fooled by the parties that have given them the
promises.
3. What is city money? How is city money expected to help the poor people?
Unlike the meager amount of money possessed by the poor villager, city money is considerably huge. The city money
is expected by the poor villager not only to alleviate his wretched state of poverty, but also to give a considerable
financial rise in life.

Stanza 8

And give us the life of the moving pictures’ promise

That the party in power is said to be keeping from us.

Questions & Answers

1. What are moving pictures? What kind of life is promised by the ‘moving pictures?
The movies the poor people have watched are full of promises for them. In those movies they saw people who
journeyed from poverty to prosperity.
2. What do ‘the parties in power’ ‘keep from the poor people?
The governments and the corrupted politicians keep the share and the allotted rights of the poor people away from
them and use that for their selfish motives.
3. How are the rich politicians responsible for the misery of the poor people?
The rich and corrupted politicians keep the money assigned by the government for the poor people in their own
malicious hands and make selfish use of them, thus depriving the poor people of their rights, happiness and all that
they deserve.

Stanza 9

It is in the news that all these pitiful kin

Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
To live in villages, next to the theater and the store,
Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore…

Questions & Answers

1. What is the good news for the poor people?

The media keep on advertising that the governments are planning schemes for the welfare of the poor people.
2. Do you think the ‘good news’ for the poor people’ ever come true? Why?
No, the promises of the governments for the poor people are not seriously meant and therefore most of them remain
just promises and are forgotten. This happens because these promises are the election baits and the bureaucratic trick
to exhort money in the name of the poor people.
3. Who are the pitiful kin? Why are they called so?
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 4. What are the promises made by the politicians?

Stanza 10

While greedy good doers, beneficent beasts of prey,

Swarm over their lives, enforcing benefits
That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits…

1. Who are the greedy good doers? What is the irony in the ‘greedy good-doers?’
The business class and the political parties and leaders are the greedy good-doers mentioned here. A greedy person
cannot be a good doer. These good doers intend to make money out of the poor people by appearing beneficent to
them.
2. What does ‘beneficent beast of prey’ imply?
Similar to ‘greedy good-doers,’ ‘the beneficent beasts of prey’ is also an indication to the greedy people who make
money in the name of social and political and charitable works.
3. How do the rich ‘enforce benefits’ on the poor?
In business, promises wrapped up in glossy appearances have great value. The rich business people convince the poor
of the advantages of their new schemes and promotions and make them buy their products and be their customers.
4. What sort of calculation is made to ‘soothe the wits of the poor?’ Does this calculation work? How?
The business minded city people attract the poor people with their well-planned promotional offers and promises.
These promises and offers are such a way calculated that the poor people cannot escape the traps of the rich. The
business man’s calculations work well as there is a more efficient brain behind all these promises.

Stanza 11

And (by) teaching them how to sleep, they sleep all day,
Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way…

Questions & Answers

1. Who teach the poor people to sleep? How?

The rich people through their alluring promises of peace of mind and prosperity in life teach the poor people sleep.
2. Are the poor able to sleep? Why? Who are really able to sleep?
The poor people are unable to sleep as promised by the rich as the promises were not meant to be. On the contrary the
rich people are able to sleep peacefully with the satisfaction of making themselves richer by exploiting the poor.
3. How do the influential rich destroy the sleep of the poor? How is this done in the ancient times?
The influential rich people give the poor great promises and exploit them to make profit out of them. This destroys the
sleep of the poor people. This method of the rich and mighty is as old as the human civilizations.

Stanza 12

Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear

The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer…

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Questions & Answers

1. What is the childish longing? Why is it in vain?

The poor people’s uncertain and futile expectation for the city money is the childish longing. It is in vain as the rich
city people do not have the generosity to help them. OR: Children long to achieve things beyond their reach; but never
get them. The poor people’s expectation that the rich people would give them money is their childish longing. it is in
vain because the hard-hearted rich people never give them a penny.
2. Why can’t the poet bear the childish longing of the poor people?
The poet is a true humanitarian who is genuinely concerned for the poor people’s misfortunes. He wants a solution for
their poverty. But seeing how childish their longings are, the poet feels it unbearable.
3. What sadness remains at the window of the roadside stand?
There is a sadness of helplessness, of unfulfilled promises and of being fooled by the parties in power remaining near
the roadside stand.
4. What is the prayer of the open window?
The open window is praying for a generous traveler stopping at the stand to buy something and paying a generous
amount to alleviate the distress of the poor people.
5. Why is the ‘open window’ said to be in ‘open prayer’ for the city people’s generosity?
The open window of the roadside stand has acquired the attitude of poor people of the roadside stand. Just like the
people, the window also expects the city-men to stop their cars to help the poor people.

Stanza 13

For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car

Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass
Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are…

Questions & Answers

1. How do the poor people react to the squeal of brake in front of the roadside stand?
At the sound of the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car, the poor people at the stand feel their spirits cheered
at the possible arrival of a customer to buy their things.
2. Why are the cars called ‘selfish cars?
The cars are selfish because the people who travel in them are self-centered.
3. What do you understand by ‘farmer’s prices?’ Who want to know that? Possibly why?
Farmer’s prices refer to the wages for which the farmer could be hired to work in the city. Farmer’s prices can also
refer to the prices of the berries, squash and paintings displayed at the roadside stand for sale.
4. What make you think that the city men stopped at the roadside stand to hire farmers to work in the city and
that farmer’s price refers to the per head wages to be paid to a farmer for working in the city?

Stanza 14

And one did stop, but only to plow up grass

In using the yard to back and turn around;
And another to ask the way to where it was bound;
And another to ask, “could you sell a gallon of gas?”

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 Questions & Answers

1. How do the city men plow up grass in the yard of the roadside stand?
The insensitive and selfish city men drive their cars into the yard of the roadside stand to back and turn it around,
leaving a huge cloud of grass plowed up.
2. What is the queerest demand of the rich man at the roadside stand? How is it queer?
The insensitive city man demands a gallon of gas at the roadside stand. This is queer because the city man is not aware
of the fact that the poor man cannot provide him with expensive items such as gas.
3. Why are the poor people angry with the city men when they ask for gas?
The roadside stand has the store of wild berries, squash and paintings which are never bought buy the city men. On the
contrary the city men require a gallon of gas and the roadside stand does not have it for sale. This helplessness makes
the poor people angry.

Stanza 15

They couldn’t (this crossly), they had none, didn’t it see?

No, in country, money, the country scale of gain,
The requisite lift of sprint, has never been found.

Meaning

• They – The villagers

• Crossly – Angrily
• They had none – They had no gas to sell
• Didn’t it see – Haven’t you seen?
• Requisite lift of spirit – The most important thing to make one feel confident and safe (money)

Questions & Answers

1. Why do the people at the roadside stand talk ‘crossly’ with the rich people?
The poor people sometimes become angry with the rich people. The latter refuse to buy the wild berries at the stand at
a price demanded by the owners of the stand. They indulge in bargain and blame the berries and squash. But the poor,
who know the rich people are so mean, grow angry at their unwillingness to help them by parting with a little amount
of their money.
2. How is money important for the village people?
The village people think that money is important for growth in the village. They hope to make improvements in their
wretched state of life.
3. What are the two significant roles of money in the lives of the poor people?
Money is the measuring rode of growth for the village people. They estimate their economic growth by means of the
small amount of money at hand. Similarly, money is necessary for a villager to feel confident. He feels a ‘lift of spirit’
with money in reach.
4. How does money become the ‘requisite lift of spirit for the country men?
Money is the most important requirement for man in the modern world. If one has money at hand then he feels
confident and a feeling of his spirit being lifted.
5. Why is money never found in the villages?
It is a common truth that countryside is backward and therefore it remains poor and penniless. Moreover, the country
folks are easy targets of the politicians and business-men and therefore they are easily cheated and looted. Besides, if
these poor people are given money, then they will migrate to prosperous cities or make a city in the place of their
village.

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 Stanza 16

Or, so, the voice of the country seems to complain.

I can’t help owning the great relief it would be
To put these people at one stroke out of their pain…

Meaning

• The voice of the country – Cry of the poor villagers

• I can’t help owning the great relief it would be – I keep on feeling an unreal relief of the villagers
• At one stroke – Instantly

Questions & Answers

1. What is the voice of the country?

The voice of the country is that the rich people have no concern for them, and that they are being exploited, cheated
and given false promises by the parties in power, and that there is no end for their miseries.
2. Why can’t the poet help ‘own’ the relief of helping the poor out of their poverty at one stroke?
The poet wants to see that the poor people are given some kind of help and support by the rich people but he knows
that this would not happen. When he fails to see this, he allows himself to dream that these poor people have been
helped by some supernatural powers to alleviate their miseries.
3. What kind of a relief does the poet dream for the poor people?
The poet dreams of a supernatural help for the poor people, a touch of magic or the like, so that the poor people will be
redeemed from their state of poverty and misery instantly.
4. Why does the poet seek an unrealistic solution for the poor people’s distress even though he himself blamed
them earlier for their ‘childish longing in vain?’
The poet, unlike the greedy good-doers, genuinely wishes to get the poor people out of their pain, poverty and endless
miseries but he is sad and helpless to see that there is no one to help them come out of their poverty. This helplessness
drives the poet to seek an unrealistic solution for the poor people’s misery.

Stanza 17

And then next day as I come back into the sane,

I wonder how I should like you to come to me
And offer to put me out of my pain.

Meaning

• As I come back into the sane – As I come back to my senses/reality

• My pain – My pain is the sufferings/plight of the poor people
• Put me out of my pain – I hope you the rich promise to open your hands for these poor people

Questions & Answers

1. What does the poet see when he comes back into his senses?
The poet sees the city cars still passing without feelings, the helplessness of the poor people and the endless misery of
the people at the roadside stand.
2. What does the poet want his readers do for him?
The poet is greatly distressed that the poor people are not helped by the government and rich people. He finally resorts
to some heavenly help for the poor by which their poverty would be removed. But soon he realizes how childish his
dreams are seeing that the poor haven’t improved. At this point the poet wants his readers to promise him to help the
poor.
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 3. What is the poet’s pain?
The poet’s pain is that the poor people are still waiting for the rich people’s generosity and that the rich people never
help the poor people. He is also sad that his insane dreams of the poor people helped by a stroke were only dreams.
4. How can his readers remove the poet’s pain?
The readers can get the poet out of his pain by offering to help the poor people

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

Extract Based Questions

Question.1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid
(a) Who is the aunt mentioned here?
(b) Why is she “ringed with ordeals”?
(c) What is the difference between her and the tigers?
(d) Why has Aunt Jennifer created the tigers so different from her own character?
or
(a) Why are Aunt Jennifer’s hands terrified?
(b) Why did she make the tigers?
(c) What will happen to her tigers after her death?
(d) How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?
Answer.(a) The aunt mentioned here is Aunt Jennifer, the protagonist of Adrienne Rich’s poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’; she
is a woman going through unpleasant experiences in her married , life.
(b) The ‘ring’ here refers to her wedding band or ring, which has brought with it a host of family responsibilities. She feels so
surrounded (i.e., ringed) by her marital constraints that it seems like an ordeal to her.
(c) Aunt Jennifer is quite weak and submissive, whereas the tigers are strong, bold and powerful. She is bound by the
constraints of her married fife, while the tigers are free to move about in the green woods.
(d) The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer are an expression of her desire to free herself from the constraints of her married life.
She wants to be bold and fearless like her tigers.
or
(a) Her hands are ‘terrified’ (actually she is terrified) as she is passing through the very hard and bitter experience of married
life. Here the poet has used her hands to represent her.
(b) She made the tigers because they are beasts of prey. They are chivalric and confident and do not fear men, which is totally
contrasting with her own nature.
(c) The tigers will still keep prancing over the panel even when Aunt is dead. They will
outlive her.
(d) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers provide a striking contrast to her. The old lady is weak and- scared of men, whereas the tigers
symbolize strength, power and fearlessness.

Question.2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green
They do not fear the men beneath the tree,
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty
(a) How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers described?
(b) Why are they described as denizens of a world of green?
(c) Why are they not afraid of the men?
(d) What are her tigers symbolic of?
Answer. (a) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers have been described as golden yellow in color. The prance fearlessly across a screen in
sleek chivalric certainty.

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(b) They have been called as denizens of a world of green because they are the natives of dense green forests.
(c) They are not afraid of men because they are brave, strong, fearless and full of confidence.
(d) Her tigers are symbolic of Aunt Jennifer’s desire for freedom. They are also symbols of strength and self-confidence.

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

Question.1. What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life?
or
What are the ordeals that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life?
Answer. Aunt Jennifer was probably a victim of oppression at the hands of the patriarchal society. She was subjugated by her
husband and the weight of the wedding band i.e., her wedding ring, felt heavy on her hand. She was so terrified that her hands
fluttered even when she carried something so light as wool.

Question.2. How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?

or
How are the tigers different from her?
Answer. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are created by her on the tapestry. However, they present a sharp contrast to their creator.
While the aunt is weak, meek and submissive and is scared of expressing her feelings openly, the tigers are strong, fearless and
confident. They are bold creatures and are scared of no one. The aunt is in bonded in matrimony and faces several restrictions.
On the other hand, the tigers move about freely.

Question.3. How does Aunt Jennifer express her bitterness and anger against male dominance?
Answer. Aunt Jennifer is too terrified to openly resist the oppression that she is victim of. She expresses her bitterness and
anger against male dominance silently through her art. She creates tigers on her tapestry; animals that are symbolic of bravery,
fearlessness and strength. Besides, she portrays these tigers as creatures unafraid of the men around them. The tigers she
creates are wild and free from any kind of bondage.

Question.4. What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead?
Answer. The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer are eternal. They will keep on prancing even after her death. She probably wants
to convey that the tigers which represent the aunt’s inner sense of freedom will stay forever.

Question.5. What lies heavily on Aunt Jennifer’s hand? How is it associated with her husband?
or
What is the weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand? How is it associated with her husband?
Answer. The weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand is the wedding band, which symbolizes the weight of her married
life. Probably, the weight has burdened her so much that she feels subjugated. Aunt Jennifer had a troubled married life with a
dominating and oppressive husband.

Question.6. Why did Aunt Jennifer choose to embroider tigers on the panel?
Answer. Aunt Jennifer chose to embroider tigers on the panel because for her, the tigers were the symbols of bravery,
fearlessness and strength. These creatures are not afraid of the men around them. Her embroidering the tigers is perhaps an
expression of her own bitterness and anger against male dominance.

Question.7. How do the words, ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?
or
How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tiger’s attitudes?
Answer. ‘Denizens’ denotes occupants or citizens and ‘chivalric’ points to fearlessness, honour, bravery and majesty. Tigers
are very possessive about their territory. They live on their own terms and fear none, as they regard themselves superior in
their own domain, The poet finds similarities between the propensity-of tigers and men.

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Question.8.Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that Die so different from her own character? What might
the poet be suggesting through this difference?
Answer. Aunt Jennifer is a weak and terrified person who, all through her life, was suppressed by the constraints of marriage.
The animals that she is creating in her panel are very different, as they are chivalric and do not fear men. They are a symbol of
strength, fierceness and beauty. They represent Aunt Jennifer’s suppressed desire to become bold and fearless, and free from
oppression. The poet wants to emphasize the spirit and desire for freedom which is innate in all human beings.

Question.9. How does the poet describe Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?

or
Describe the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer.
Answer. According to the poet, Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are golden-yellow in colour. He describes them as prancing across the
screen. They are denizens of a world of green. The tigers are sleek, chivalric, majestic and elegant. Also, they are brave and
fearless.

“Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,

Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.”

Question 1:
How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers described?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers have been described as golden yellow in colour. They are bold and fearless as they prance across a
screen with confidence.

Question 2:
Why are they described as denizens of a world of green?
Answer:
They have been described as denizens of a world of green because they live in dense green forests.

Question 3:
Why are they not afraid of men?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are a symbol of strength. They are not afraid of men because they are strong, bold and fearless.

Question 4:
Give the meaning of ‘prance’.
Answer:
‘Prance’ means to move or jump over with large movements, in a joyous way.

II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool

Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hands.”

Question 1:
Why are her fingers fluttering?

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Answer:
Her fingers flutter because she is terrorized and traumatized by the constraints of her married life.

Question 2:
Why is the wedding band described as ‘massive? Why was it sitting heavily on her hand?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer feels burdened by the weight of her marital responsibilities. She feels subjugated and is not able to express
herself. The ‘massive’ wedding band exerts heavy pressure on her hands. It symbolizes her bondage. It ‘sits heartily’ on her
hand, suggesting that she feels overburdened with her husband’s overpowering presence.

Question 3:
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created images different from her character?
Answer:
Tigers are a symbol of strength. They are fearless and confident. Aunt Jennifer yearns for freedom, from a male dominated
society. She wants to be free and fearless like the tigers in the forests, and therefore she creates images of the bright topaz
tigers.

III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie.

Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.”

Question 1:
Who is the aunt mentioned here?
Answer:
The aunt mentioned here is Aunt Jennifer, the protagonist of Adrienne Rich’s poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’. She is a woman
going through unpleasant experiences in her married life.

Question 2:
Why is she ‘ringed with ordeals?
Answer:
She is ‘ringed’ with ordeals because marriage has brought with it a host of family responsibilities by which she is ‘ringed’ or
surrounded. She feels so burdened by her marital constraints that they seem like an ordeal to her.

Question 3:
What is the difference between her and the tigers?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is quite weak and submissive, whereas the tigers are strong, bold and powerful. She is bound by the constraints
of her married life, while the tigers are free to move about in the green woods.

Question 4:
Why has Aunt Jennifer created the tigers so different from her own character?
Answer:
The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer are an expression of her desire to free herself from the constraints of her married life. She
wants to be bold and fearless like her tigers.

Or

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Question 1:
Why are Aunt Jennifer’s hands terrified?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s hands reflect her terror due to the ordeals and hardships she has had to face in her marital life.

Question 2:
Why did she make the tigers?
Answer:
She has created tigers which are symbols of confidence and fearlessness because she wants to be like them. She wants to break
away from the rules that have tethered her all her life.

Question 3:
What will happen to her tigers after her death?
Answer:
The tigers are eternal. They will keep on prancing even after her death. She probably wants to convey that the tigers i.e., men
will still be fearless and the condition of women will not change.

Question 4:
How are the tigers different from her?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers provide a striking contrast to her. The old lady is weak and can’t move her terrified fingers without
trembling. On the other hand, her tigers symbolize strength, speed and power.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What is suggested by the phrase, ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band?
What is suggested by the image, ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band?
Answer:
The wedding band describes her marriage. It is ‘massive’ on her. hand because the weight of her marital responsibilities has
burdened her so much that she feels subjugated and cannot express herself freely.

Question 2:
For Aunt Jennifer, what do the tigers symbolise?
Or
Why does Aunt Jennifer create animals that are so different from her own character?
Or
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own character?
What might the poet be suggesting, through this difference?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is creating tigers, which are a symbol of strength, fearlessness and confidence. These are the qualities that Aunt
Jennifer lacks in herself. These tigers represent Aunt Jennifer’s suppressed desires to become bold and fearless, and free from
oppression. The poet wants to suggest that women need to have these qualities to fight against their oppressors.

Question 3:
What will happen when Aunt Jennifer is dead?
Or
What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead?
Answer:
The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer will keep on prancing even after her death, as she has created them on the tapestry. This

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means that art endures beyond human life. It also shows that her longing for freedom from male domination will endure
forever, even after she dies.

Question 4:
How is Aunt Jennifer different from her tigers?
Or
How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are created by her on the tapestry. However, they present a sharp contrast to their creator. While Aunt is
weak, meek and submissive and is scared of expressing her feelings openly, the tigers are strong, fearless and confident. They
are bold creatures and are scared of none, not even of men.

Question 5:
What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer was a victim of oppression at the hands of the patriarchal society. She was subjugated by her husband and the
wedding band lay heavy on her hand. She was so terrified that her hands fluttered even when she carried something so light as
knitting needles and wool.

Question 6:
How does Aunt Jennifer express her bitterness and anger against male dominance?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is too terrified to openly resist the oppression that she is a victim of. She expresses her bitterness and anger
against male dominance silently through her art. She creates tigers on her tapestry; animals that are symbolic of bravery,
fearlessness and strength. The tigers she creates are wild and free from any kind of bondage.

Question 7:
What is the weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand?
Answer:
The weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand is the weight of Uncle’s wedding band, which
signifies her married life. Probably the weight of her married life has burdened her so much that she feels subjugated.

Question 8:
How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tigers’ attitudes?
Answer:
‘Denizens’ means occupants of a particular place and ‘Chivalric’ points to honor, bravery and fearlessness. The tigers occupy
their territory after much struggle and are very possessive about it. They live on their own terms and fear none, as they regard
themselves as superior in their domain.

Question 9:
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are fluttering through her wool ‘in the second stanza? Why is she finding the needle
so hard to pull?
Answer:
Her fingers are fluttering and she is finding the needle hard to pull because she is weak and feels afraid. She is traumatized by
the ordeals of her marital life and a male dominated society.

Question 10:
Why did Aunt Jennifer choose to embroider tigers on the panel?
Answer:
Tigers represent strength and fearlessness. Aunt Jennifer is very oppressed. The burden of her marital life has traumatized her.
She has an inner desire to be free from oppression and expresses this in her art.
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Question 11:
Of what or of whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified with in the third stanza?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is terrified of her husband, who dominates her in her married life. She is the victim of exploitations at the hands
of the male dominated society, particularly her own husband.

Question 12:
What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by? Why is it significant that the poet used the word ‘ringed’? What are the
meanings of the word ‘ringed’ in the poem?
Answer:
‘Ordeals’ refers to the oppression or painful experiences Aunt Jennifer has to face in a male dominated society. The poet uses
the word ‘ringed’ in the context of the demands of society, which she is surrounded by. Throughout her life and maybe even
after, she will be controlled by the society’s rules. ‘Ringed’ is also used here to mean ‘chained’ or ‘bonded’.

Question 13:
Interpret the symbols found in this poem.
Answer:
There are many symbols used in the poem. Tigers are a symbol of strength and fearlessness. They are also symbolic of Aunt
Jennifer’s inner desires to be free from oppression. ‘Ring’ is another symbol which represents bondage. ‘Wedding band’ is a
symbol of oppression. ‘Aunt Jennifer’ herself is a symbol of women who are victimized.

Question 14:
Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer? What is the attitude of the speaker towards Aunt Jennifer?
Answer:
Yes, we do sympathise with Aunt Jennifer. Aunt Jennifer here represents those women who are victimised by the male
dominated society. She feels oppressed and rules of society do not allow her to express herself freely. The poet herself is very
critical of the treatment given to Aunt Jennifer. However, she wants women to fight for their rights, rather than being silent
victims of oppression.

Question 15:
Describe the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer.
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are topaz-coloured. They are fearless and confident residents of dense green
forests. The tigers represent strength, bravery and fearlessness. Aunt Jennifer yearns to be bold and confident like them.

Question 16:
What does the title of the poem suggest to you? Are you reminded of other poems on tigers?
Answer:
The title of the poem suggests that it is about Aunt Jennifer’s knitted tigers which become an alternate world created by her to
free herself from the burden of married life. She is expressing her fear and struggle in married life and her desire to be free
through her knitting.
‘The Tiger’ by William Blake and ‘Tiger’ by Alec D Hope are some other famous poems.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Explain the stark difference in the death of Aunt Jennifer and the tigers prancing.
Answer:
The tigers remain constant through the poem and only seem to become stronger as the poem ‘progresses. However, it is Aunt
Jennifer who in her death gradually fades away. She in her death gets defeated due to her unfulfilled desires. She perhaps
accepts the bondage of domination as her fingers still remain ringed and she dies surrounded by the difficulties in her life. The
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tigers are the cherished world of freedom for her, prancing in pride, a world she is never able to enjoy. It gives us a practical
look at the reality that Aunt Jennifer never wins and she accepts her defeat stoically as she conforms to the society, she has
lived in. She bears the weight of the ring, whether dead or alive, because she has already given up her freedom by getting
married.

Question 2:
Analyse the symbols and poetic devices employed in the poem.
Answer:
Adrienne Rich has aptly used a number of images, symbols and poetic devices in the poem to convey the theme. The tigers
symbolise the freedom of spirit which Aunt Jennifer dreams of attaining, but never achieves except in her dreams and art. Aunt
Jennifer metaphorically represents the women as a whole, women who are victims of male superiority and domination. Tigers
symbolise the true nature of a woman’s free soul that values strength and assertion.
There lies a metaphor in the implied comparison of the tigers to the bright topaz denizens where tigers are considered to be the
inhabitants of the forests, the crafted green world on the panel. The tigers are also attributed with the quality of chivalry in their
confidence. The alliteration in ‘fingers fluttering’ evokes the sense of irony in the poem, as the fingers signify Jennifer’s
physical feebleness. She therefore finds it difficult to pull the ivory needle. The alliteration ‘prancing proud’ signifies the
everlasting strength of the tigers.

Value Based Question

Question 1:
In a predominantly male dominated society, women have always faced oppression from men.
What changes can be brought about in society for uplifting the position of women like Aunt Jennifer?
Answer:
The position of women like Aunt Jennifer can be uplifted in society by implementing the measures given below, as these are
still lacking in society:

1. Education, particularly the girl child’s education, is still lagging behind, as girls are burdened with domestic duties at an
early stage in life and also married at an early age.
2. Women are not given equal opportunities equal to men in life, whether it is upbringing, education or employment.
Society should change so that women are treated equally to men.
3. Women should be empowered to take their own decisions in life. Aunt Jennifer is afraid of her husband because he
dominates all parts of her life; she cannot take any decisions on her own. Thus, she expresses her suppressed desires
through her knitting.

VISTAS
THE THIRD LEVEL
The Third Level Extra Questions/ Important Questions
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

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Q1 What, according to the psychiatrist, was Charley’s problem?

Charley told the psychiatrist about his belief in the existence of the third level at the Grand Central Station but was told that it
was only a waking- dream wish fulfillment. The psychiatrist also added that Charley was unhappy because of the insecurity,
fear, war, worry and that he just wanted to escape just like everyone else.

Q2. What did the psychiatrist think about Charley’s stamp collection? Why did Charley not agree with him?

A . The psychiatrist thought that Charley’s stamp collecting was a temporary refuge from reality. Charley did not agree with
him because his grandfather for whom things were nice and peaceful and who did not need refuge from reality also collected
stamps.

Q3. How does Charley describe himself?

Ans. Charley describes himself as just an ordinary guy, thirty-one years old. He wore a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with
a fancy band. He was just like other men he passed on the road and he was not trying to escape from anything.

Q3. Why does Charley feel that Grand Central is growing like a tree?

(Charley had been in the station for long

• But each time he bumped into new doorways, stairs and corridors

• Once had entered a long tunnel and came out near Roosevelt hotel)

Q4.What idea did Charley have about the tunnel and why didn’t he tell the psychiatrist about it?

Charley felt there was a tunnel that nobody knew about, which was feeling its way under the city at that moment too, on its
way to Times Square, and maybe another to Central Park. Grand Central, he felt, was like an exit, a way of escape and perhaps
that’s how he got into the tunnel. He didn’t want to tell the psychiatrist, for he would not have believed him and would have
wanted to treat him.

Q5. How did Charley make sure that he had actually travelled in the past?

A . Charley went to the news stand and looked at the Newspaper. He saw that it was ‘The World’, a Newspaper that was no
longer published. He later discovered through Public Library files it was printed on June11, 1894

Q6. Describe Galesburg, as it existed in the year 1894?

(Ans) Galesburg was a wonderful town with big old frame houses, huge lawns, and tremendous trees whose branches met
overhead and roofed over the streets. In 1894, summer evenings were twice as long, and people sat on their lawns, the men
smoking.

Q7. What preparations did Charley make to go to Galesburg?

(Drew 300 dollars out of bank and purchased and purchased old style currency)

Q8 In which context did Charley say, “eggs were thirteen cents a dozen in 1894”?
Charley had got his three hundred dollars out of the bank and got them changed into old style currency so that he could go
back to the third level and buy the tickets to Galesburg. For his three hundred dollars he had got only two hundred dollars old-

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style currency but he didn’t mind that. The only consolation was that in the year 1894, the two hundred dollars would have
more value, as things were much cheaper than they were now.

Q9 What made Louisa, Charley’s wife, believe that the third level was a reality?
Louisa, like Charley’s friends, believed whatever explanations the psychiatrist friend had given. But later, when she received a
mail from Sam himself from the old Galesburg, Louisa believed that Charley was true to his claims and even began to search
for the third level.

Q10 What is a first day cover?

When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and use them to mail envelopes to themselves on the very first day of
sale; and the postmark proves the date. They’re never opened; they just put blank paper in the envelope. The envelope is called
a first-day cover.

Q11 Who had sent the first day cover and what was written on it?
Sam had sent the first day cover. Sam wrote that he had discovered the Third level and had reached Galesburg. He found
Galesburg peaceful and friendly, he advised Charley to keep looking for third level and reach Galesburg.

Q12 How did Charley happen to reach the Third Level of Grand Central Station, New York?

One day Charley worked for more time at office. So, he was late for home. So, he took the subway from the Grand Central to
reach the second level of it. From there he was to catch a train. He started walking quickly. He reached the second level. But,
all of a sudden, he lost his way there. He entered a corridor that had a left turn. It was also slanting somewhat downwards. It
was like a tunnel. He met no one on the way. There was dead silence. Even he could hear the sound of his own footsteps. Then
the corridor took a sharp left turn. After coming down a flight of stairs he reached the third level of the Grand Central Station.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Describe the Grand Central Station at the third level?

Grand Central Station at the third level looked very different. There were Fewer ticket windows and train gates. Information
booth was in the center, it was made of wood and was very old looking man in the booth wore green eye shade and long sleeve
protectors. The lights were dim and flickering as they were open flame gaslights. There were brass spittoons on the floor.

Men wore Derby hats a black four button suit with tiny lapels and he had a big, black handlebar moustache. Men had beards,
sideburns and fancy moustaches. Women wore dresses with leg of mutton sleeves. He caught a glimpse of a very small Currier
&Ives Locomotive with a funnel shaped stack. He also saw a copy of the “The World’, a Newspaper which hadn’t been
published for years.

Q2. What was reaction of the Clerk at the Ticket counter? Why

After Charley discovered that he was on the Third level ,he decided go to Galesburg with his wife Louisa and turned to
purchase two tickets from the ticket counter the clerk at the ticket counter glanced at his fancy hatband curiously .However
when Charley counted the money and handed over the currency notes to the clerk ,he started staring at Charley openly .He felt
that Charley was trying to give him fake currency as the currency used in 1894 were old style bills half as big as the notes that
Charley was using ,he even threatened to turn him to the authorities Charley did not relish the prospect of going to jail
therefore he turned and got out of the Third level as fast as possible.

Q3.Why is the fact that Sam has moved to the third level ironical?

Ans Sam believed that only two levels existed. He explained Charley’s experience as ‘Waking – dream wish fulfilment. He
believed 3rd level was a medium to escape foam tension of modern life. But later, Sam himself found the 3rd level and got

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 settled there. Earlier he believed there was not third level at all but ironically, he himself became a resident of Galesburg. He
even urged charley to keep finding it.

Q4 Imagination is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’ Explain.

Believed it was a waking dream, perhaps wish fulfilment. Felt that like many men in the modern world Charley too was
unhappy. Modern world is full of trials and tribulations, worries and insecurities. Felt Charley wanted to escape this world.
People indulge in some sort of hobby to escape the stark harsh realities. Even stamp collecting was a kind of temporary escape.
Charley refuted his contention- said people do not wander about due to stress. Besides his grandfather had also collected
stamps in the good old peaceful days of eighteen-nineties and did not need to escape as life was quite stress free in those days.
The Third Level – Jack Finney
Opening – Charley, an ordinary man
Charley was quite an ordinary man from New York. One evening he reached the Grand Central Railway Station, New York,
after a long day’s work in the office. This was what happened at the station:

• He was in a hurry to get home. His wife Louisa was waiting for him.
• Having found no train from the first level of the station, Charley went down to the second level.
• While waiting for a train on the second level, Charley found a door and tunnel down.
• Curious as he always was, Charley suspected it was a mysterious tunnel.
• Following the tunnel, he took steps down and reached the third level of the station.
But, Grand Central has only two levels! How is this third level possible? Charley remained wondering. Wondering at the old-
fashioned train engines, at the hundred-year-old fashion, men with long mustache, women dressed in the old French style, a
man pulling out his watch from pocket, gas lamps and spittoons…

• From a newspaper, he learnt the time – 1895!

• Charley knew one thing for sure – time traveling!
• He had got into similar tunnels in the past – under Roosevelt Hotel, under Times Square…
• In the past he had got into more such mysterious tunnels and caves but always a question remained without answer – why was
he not able to go back to those places once again!
• Anyway, now, in the third level of the Grand Central Station, he had not much time to ask questions – Louisa was waiting at
home.
• He went the ticket counter and asked for two tickets to Galesburg – the 1895 Galesburg or more clearly, a hundred years old
Galesburg – where he was born.
• When he paid the cash at the counter, the clerk suspected him for tendering fake currency. Threatened, Charley ran out of the
third level and reached home.
Questions & Answers

1. How did Charley reach the third level of the Grand Central Station?
Grand Central Station, New York, has only two levels. One evening Charley reached this station and then walked down the
second level to catch an early train to his home. While he was on the second level, he strangely happened to notice a doorway
down. He followed the steps and reached the third level which was never heard or seen by anyone. In the third level Charley
saw a hundred-year-old world and people.
2. What was Charley’s strange experience at the Grand Central Station?
The Grand Central Railway Station, New York, has only two levels. It is a common fact. A simple, normal, man, Charley,
once took an unknown way down to the third level of this station. He got lost in a 100-year-old world there. People, fashion,
currency and dressing were different there. Even though it was difficult for Charley to believe what was happening, he had no
other choice than believing the reality. He thought of living there, a world behind his time, because the 1894 world was more
peaceful, fragile, innocent and secure. He tried to get two rail tickets to his hometown Galesburg; one for his wife, indeed. But
Charley failed to get the tickets as the clerk at the ticket counter suspected him and his currency notes. Charley ran away, got
out of the third level and finally reached the present world and got home.
3. How did The World help Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third level?
The World was a popular newspaper which stopped its publication before 1994. Having reached the third level of the Grand
Central Station, Charley noticed that the World was still available. He saw that day’s edition of the World and the date, June
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 11, 1894 and confirmed that he was back in 1894.In the beginning, when he reached the third level, Charley was confused.
Whatever he saw in the third level told him that he had travelled back to the past. This was confirmed when he saw The World,
a newspaper of the past that was no more published. The lead story said something about President Cleveland and it was
printed June 11, 1894.
4. How did Charley ascertain that he had reached the 1894 world?
Charley reached the third level of the Grand Central Railway Station, New York. Amidst his fresh amazement, Charley could
not relate the possibility of being in a hundred-year-old world. But when Charley observed the dim gas lamps, brass spittoons,
old styled costumes of men and women, moustaches and beards generally worn by men, string-watches and so on, Charley
began to doubt that he had become part of the old world yet he still didn’t know which year it was. Charley got it resolved only
at the sight of The World, the newspaper that bore the date of 1894 with a piece of news of President Cleveland.
5. Why did Charley run away from the third level?
Charley was greatly amazed when he reached the hundred-year-old third level and was planning to buy two rail tickets to
Galesburg where he had spent his childhood. But when he took out his money to pay the fare, the clerk found out that his notes
were fake and thought that Charley was attempting to fool him. He warned him that he would call the police. Seeing that there
was nothing good about police and jail in the hundred-year-old Galesburg, Charley ran away.
6. What was Sam’s answer to Charley’s dilemma?
Charley met his psychiatrist friend Sam and told him about this experience. The psychiatrist interpreted it as a mental disorder.
Indicating his hobby of stamp collection and this sort of experiences, Sam explained his abnormality to be ‘escaping from the
struggles of life by fantasizing.’ Soon his friends and wife began to consider Charley as a mental patient. But how! Charley
was no abnormal. He was a happy man who loved his wife and friends and stamps. But the rest of the world believed Charley
was abnormal, a dreamer.
7. How did Charley’s friends relate his stamp collecting habit to his being abnormal?
Charley had a collection of stamps. When he told his friends of his peculiar experience at the Grand Central Station, all his
friends believed that he was not mentally well. They said that he was worried as anyone in the modern world and by spending
time with his stamps he was escaping from realities.
8. Does Charley agree that stamp collecting habit is a way of escapism? Why?
No, Charley doesn’t agree with this claim of his psychiatrist friend. Charley’s grandfather was a stamp collector yet he was a
happy man and he never ran away from any reality. Another stamp collector was President Roosevelt, the American President
who won the World War II. From these two people Charley believed that stamp collecting habit does not mean escapism.
Next – Sam goes Missing

1. Why was Charley not able to get to Galesburg?

Next day Charley went to a particular shop that sold old currency. He paid more for less old money and ran to the railway
station. He hoped to buy train tickets this time to go to his old village. He reached the first level, went down to the second and
searched for the door to the third level. Alas! The door had vanished. He searched and searched but could not find it again.
2. How did Charley’s behavior return to normal?
Charley stopped his search for the third level when he saw that he would never find the gate that opens to the third level. He
spent more time with his stamp collections now. His wife was glad that her husband now behaved normally.
3. How did Sam reach Galesburg?
Sam was smarter than Charley. From Charley’s experience, he learnt that one can get into the third level only once. He also
believed that once returned from the third level, one could never get back. Keeping this in mind, Sam got old currency from
the shop and went to the railway station. He found the door to the third level as claimed by Charley, purchased ticket and
reached the 1894 Galesburg, Charley’s village.
4. How did Sam settle down in the old Galesburg?
Having reached there, Sam settled himself in hay business because he could not do his old profession in Galesburg. Who will
come to a psychiatrist in 1894? Well, this man was none but Sam, the psychiatrist!
5. Why couldn’t Sam practice psychiatry in Galesburg?
The Galesburg where Sam reached from the Third Level was a peaceful town. The people there were much happier and had
not experienced the terror of world wars and the destruction they had caused. They were not insecure and anxious and
therefore didn’t require a psychiatrist.
Next – The Reality Side of Charley’s disappearance

This was what happened on the third level. Next day Charley first went a shop that sold old currency, bought some old
currency and went to the station. He began searching for the tunnel that led to the third level but could not locate it any more.
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 For a week he came, searched for the tunnel and went back disappointed. Finally, he told the whole story to Louisa and the
good lady brought him to their friend Sam, a psychiatrist.

• Sam heard his friend’s story and termed it a slight deviation of the mind.
• He explained it happened to Charley because he was always in search of a place to escape from the burden and monotony of
city life.
• Charley disagreed to this explanation but Louisa and other people believed the psychiatrist.
• Slowly Charley stopped his search for the unknown.
• He was returning to a normal state when suddenly the most unexpected happened – Sam reached the third level and sent him a
message.
Questions & Answers

1. What made Louisa, Charley’s wife, believe that the third level was a reality?
Louisa, like Charley’s friends, believed whatever explanations the psychiatrist friend had given. But later, when she received a
mail from Sam himself from the old Galesburg, Louisa believed that Charley was true to his claims and even began to search
for the third level.
2. What do you think had happened with Sam the psychiatrist friend after he went missing from New York?
It was Sam who had termed Charley’s claims of the existence of a third level at the Grand Central station a ‘waking dream
fulfillment.’ Ironically this very Sam found out the third level and reached Galesburg and even settled down there, happily.
3. Why did Charley think that Sam could not practice psychiatry in Galesburg?
The Galesburg of 1894 was a peaceful town with no fear of war and no unhappy people. As long as there was no worry and
fear of war, a psychiatrist was out of question and therefore Sam the psychiatrist could not practice it in Galesburg.
4. What is a first day cover?
When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and use them to mail envelopes to them on the very first day of sale;
and the postmark proves the date. They’re never opened; they just put blank paper in the envelope. The envelope is called a
first-day cover.
5. How did Sam’s mail reach Charley?
When Sam reached the third level and landed in Galesburg, he became part of a hundred-year-old world, the year 1894, a
world devoid of the modern media of communication. He had to depend only on postal system but there was no link between
his old world and Charley’s present world. In order to send a mail to Charley, Sam sent it to Charley’s grandfather who still
existed in the third level and the grandfather kept the mail in his stamp collection and consequently Charley received the mail.
OR – Sam had no easy way to send Charley a message that the third level was no waking dream wish fulfillment but a reality.
Finally, the shrewd psychiatrist found a way out. He was aware of the fact that Charley’s grandfather could be alive in the
1894 Galesburg, young and of course, having a stamp collection and that this same collection was with Charley. So Sam send a
first day cover to Charley’s ‘grandpa’ and the young man kept it in his collection and consequently it reached Charley.
6. What is role of the stamp-collection in the story?
The stamp collection is the logic behind the story. It was Charley’s favorite pastime. In fact, this collection was passed on to
Charley from his diseased grandfather. The most important fact about this collection is that this was the only thing that
connected the old world and the new: the same thing but existing in two worlds. This collection turned out to be useful for Sam
the psychiatrist friend when he attempted to convey to Charley the truth regarding the existence of the third level; It was by
keeping his first day cover in Charley’s grandfather’s collection that Sam could make the same available to Charley.
7. How does the psychiatrist turn out to be a firm supporter of Charley and his third level?
The story The Third Level is a blend of satire and irony. Initially, when Charley told his psychiatrist friend Sam about his
strange experience at the Grand Central Station, the latter dismissed it as a dream. But the same psychiatrist was a seeker of the
unknown and therefore sought the truth and smartly reached the mysterious third level and believed it. Sam, a man who knew
the unknown and unexplained minds of several people, could only prove the existence of the third level.
8. Briefly describe Charley’s strange experience in the third level?
Charley was an ordinary man, employed in New York and leading a normal life with no great tensions. He used to
encounter/reach new places that were beyond the reach of the other people. One day Charley walked down to the third level of
the Grand Central Station, New York. It was a totally unbelievable experience for Charley. It was a hundred-year-old world
there. He saw old fashioned dressing, costumes and accessories used by the people there. People used string-watches, eye-
shades and big sized currencies. The trains ran on steam and coaches were smaller. There were fewer ticket windows as
population was less. People were more punctual than today. He saw that the newspaper circulated there bore the date of 1894
and the lead story about the hundred-year-old America’s President Cleveland. Charley knew that the old world was much
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better than the present world of anxiety and worries of war and insecurity and wanted to be part of the old world. He wanted to
buy two tickets for his wife and himself but couldn’t buy it because he didn’t have the old currency. Charley tried his luck
another time with old currency purchased from a coin dealer but never again saw the door that led to the third level of Grand
Central Station.

The Tiger King

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

Question.1. What gave the astrologers the greatest surprise of their life while they were studying the horoscope of the
ten-day old prince?
Answer. When the astrologers were reading the horoscope of the little prince, they were taken by surprise when the ten-day
old infant asked about the manner of his death. When the chief astrologer told him that a tiger would be the cause of his death,
the baby retorted with arrogance, “Let the tigers beware!”

Question.2. How did the Maharaja please a high-ranking officer?

Answer. A high-ranking British officer visited the state of Pratibandapuram and sought permission for tiger hunting from the
Maharaja. The Maharaja declined his request, but as he did not want to upset the officer, he sent fifty diamond rings to the
officer’s wife which cost the king three, lakh rupees.

Question.3. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state?
Answer. As the prince was crowned the king, the astrologer’s prediction regarding his (the king’s) death by a tiger reached his
ears. This prompted the Maharaja to kill a tiger but the astrologer informed him that he had to successfully kill hundred tigers
to escape the prophecy. Thus, in order to reach that mark, the Maharaja banned tiger hunting in the state except for himself.

Question.4. Why did the Maharaja decide to get married?

or
What is the reason for the Tiger King’s sudden decision to marry?
Answer. In order to defeat the astrologer’s prophecy, the Maharaja had to kill a hundred tigers. He had already killed seventy
tigers and the tiger population in his state neared extinction. For this reason, he wished to marry a girl in the royal family of a
state with a rich tiger population, where he would kill the rest of the tigers.

Question.5. Why did the Maharaja double the land tax?

Answer. The Maharaja had successfully killed ninety-nine tigers but struggled hard to find the hundredth tiger. Once, there
came a news of a tiger being spotted at a hillside village but it turned out to be untrue. This infuriated the Maharaja, who
ordered the dewan to double the land tax in order to punish the villagers for the false news.

Question.6. How did the Tiger King become the victim of the hundredth tiger?
or
How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his fate?
Answer. The Tiger King met his end through the wooden tiger, which he had bought as a gift for his son on his third birthday.
While he was playing with his son, a splinter of the poorly made toy tiger pricked the king’s hand. The infection turned into a

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sore, which spread all over his arm. In spite of the best surgeons, the king’s life could not be saved.
The irony is in the fact that in spite of killing nearly all the tigers in the area, he had to face his death by a toy tiger.

Question.7. What, sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organize for the high-ranking British officer? What trait of
the officer does it reveal?
Answer. Tiger hunting was banned in Pratibandapuram. When the British official came with a tiger hunt request, the Maharaja
told him that he may conduct a boar hunt, a mouse hunt, even a mosquito hunt, but not a tiger hunt. In reply to this, the British
officer said that he only wanted to be photographed holding a gun and standing ewer the dead body; the tiger could be killed
by the Maharaja. This shows the shallowness of character of the officer.

Question.8. Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger?
Answer. When the Maharaja was barely ten days old, the chief astrologer had predicted that a tiger would be the cause of his
death. When the Maharaja was twenty, he killed one tiger. When he asked his astrologer, the astrologer said that he would kill
ninety-nine tigers, but he should be fearful of the hundredth tiger. That was the reason why the Maharaja was so anxious to kill
the hundredth tiger.
Question.9. What warning did the astrologer give the Tiger King when he killed the first tiger? Did the prediction of
the astrologer come to be true?
Answer. When the Maharaja boasted about killing the first tiger, the astrologer said that he may kill’ ninety-nine tigers, but
must be “very careful with the hundredth tiger.” Yes, the astrologer was absolutely true in this prediction, because finally the
Maharaja was killed by the hundredth tiger.

Question.10. How did the Dewan manage to arrange the hundredth tiger for the Maharaja?
Answer. The Dewan had brought a tiger from the People’s Park in Madras and kept it hidden in his house. When the Maharaja
threatened him with dire consequences, he understood that the only way to save himself was to ‘plant’ a tiger for the kill. So,
he and his aged wife dragged the tiger to the forest where the king was hunting. The king took aim and the beast soon
collapsed.

Question.11. Why was the Maharaja sunk in gloom even after having killed seventy tigers?
Answer. During ten years, the Maharaja had managed to kill seventy tigers. As a result, the tiger population became extinct in
his kingdom. This made the Maharaja anxious because he thought he would not be able to achieve his target of killing a
hundred tigers and so his life would be in danger.

Question.12. What led the Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt?

Answer. The Maharaja knew the old saying that killing even a cow in self-defense was no sin. So, in order to save his own life
and prove the astrological prediction wrong, he started shooting all his enemies, i.e. the tigers he found in the forests of his
state and nearby regions.

Question.13. When did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom?
Answer. Once, a high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers and being
photographed with them. However, the Maharaja refused to give him permission to hunt tigers because he feared that other
British officers too would turn up with the same request. It was because of his refusal that the Maharaja stood in danger of
losing his kingdom.

Question.14. What happened to the tiger provided by the Dewan Saheb?

Answer. The tiger provided by the Dewan Saheb was very old and stood in complete submission. The Maharaja look aim and
fired, but-actually the bullet missed the tiger and the tiger only fainted from the sharp sound of the bullet. As nobody wanted
the Maharaja to know about it, one of the hunters himself shot the tiger later on.

Question.15. Describe the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers.
Answer. The Tiger King made numerous efforts to fulfil his target of killing a hundred tigers. He stayed in the forest for many
days. He fired many of his officers for not getting him tigers. He had to spend a ransom of three lakh rupees to impress the
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British official and discourage him from killing the tigers. He even went to the extent of marrying to kill the population of
tigers in the neighboring state to meet his target. In a way, he did all he could to achieve his goal, of killing a hundred tigers.

Question.16. Did the Tiger King shoot the hundredth tiger? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer. The Tiger King actually did not shoot the hundredth tiger. The tiger being a weak one, fainted from the shock of a
bullet whizzing past him and the ignorant king celebrated his achievement. Later, when the hunters took a closer look at the
tiger, it woke up as if from a deep slumber.

Question.17. How did the Tiger King celebrate his victory over the killing of the hundredth tiger?
Answer. When the Maharaja thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger, his joy knew no bounds. The elated king returned
to his capital and ordered his staff to bring the dead tiger in a grand
procession. The tiger was buried and a tomb was erected over it.

Question.18. What was the Dewan’s tiger like? How did he take it into the forest?
Answer. The Dewan’s tiger was old and had been brought from the People’s Park in Madras. It was kept hidden in the
Dewan’s house. At midnight, the Dewan with his wife dragged the tiger to his car and thrust it onto the seat. With great
difficulty, the tiger was pushed out of the car and planted in the forest to be shot by the Maharaja.

Question.19. Why did the Dewan decide to give up his own tiger to be killed by the Maharaja?
Answer. The Maharaja refused to leave the forest unless he killed the hundredth tiger that had been sighted by the villagers.
The Maharaja was furious and sacked many officers. He ordered the Dewan to double the land tax of the village and when the
Dewan tried to stop him, the Maharaja asked him to resign. So, to save his job, the Dewan decided to arrange for a tiger to be
killed by the Maharaja.

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Question.20. How did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom? How was he able to avoid the danger?
Answer. Once a high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. As he was fond of hunting tigers, he expressed his wish
of tiger hunting to the king but the king refused permission. Then the British officer (^quested that he only wanted to be
photographed holding gun and standing over the dead body of the tiger; the Maharaja could kill the tiger. However, the
Maharaja denied him this permission also, fearing that it would lead to further similar requests from other officers.
As the Maharaja did not want to upset the British officer and risk losing his kingdom, he sent a fifty diamond rings to the wife
of the officer. The lady kept all the rings and sent him a note of thanks. In this way, the king managed to save his kingdom.

Question.21. The astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true. Do you agree with this
statement?
Answer. I agree with the statement that the astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true.
The astrologer had predicted that Tiger King would be killed by a tiger and he should be wary of the hundredth tiger.
This statement of the astrologer forced the king to go on a killing spree. The hundredth tiger was not killed by the king himself
but by the hunters, who found out that the old tiger had not died by the bullet of the king but only fainted by the bullet
whizzing past him.
The hundredth tiger was a wooden toy tiger which the king had presented to his three-year old son. It killed the king merely by
a sliver of wood protruding form it that pierced his right hand. The wound developed pus and it soon spread all over the arm.
The best surgeons failed to save the king and thus, the astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King proved to be
correct.

The Tiger King Extra Questions

Question 1 : Why did the Maharaja decide to get married?
Answer : The Maharaja decided to get married as he had killed all seventy tigers in his kingdom. He wanted the freedom to
shoot the remaining thirty tigers in a kingdom or state with a large tiger population to negate the prophecy.
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Question 2 : Which problem did the Maharaja face when he had killed seventy tigers? How did he solve it?
Answer : When the Maharaja had killed seventy tigers, there were no more tigers left to be killed in his kingdom. He solved
this problem by marrying a girl from a state which had sufficient tigers to be killed.
Question 3 : When did the Maharaja decide to double the land tax for a village?
Answer : The Maharaja decided to double the land tax for a village in anger when the villagers were not able to locate the
hundredth tiger which he could not kill and prove the astrologer’s prophecy wrong.
Question 4 : Why was the Maharaja once in danger of losing his kingdom?
Answer : The Maharaja was once in danger of losing his kingdom when he did not allow a British officer to shoot a tiger or
even take a picture with the dead tiger. Thus, his kingdom was in danger.
Question 5 : Why did the Maharaja have to pay a bill of three lakh rupees to the British jewelers?
Answer : When the Maharaja refused a British officer to conduct a tiger hunt, he risked losing his kingdom. So he sent fifty
diamond rings to his wife costing three lakh Rupees to his wife to select one. But she kept them all.
Question 6 : When he was only ten days old, a prediction was made about the future of the Tiger King. What was ironic
about it?
Answer : A prediction stating a tiger would be the cause of the Tiger King’s death was made when he was ten days old.
Although the Tiger King killed all the hundred tigers to prove the prediction wrong, it was ironic that he was killed by a wound
caused while playing with a wooden tiger.
Question 7 : How did the ten-day-old baby (the future Tiger King) react to the prediction about his future made by the
astrologers?
Answer : When the astrologers predicted that one day the future Tiger King would die, he remarked that it was nothing special
about it as everyone who is born has to die one day. When he was told that a tiger would be the cause of his death, he growled
to beware all the tigers.
Question 8 : What did the British officer’s secretary tell the Maharaja? Why did the Maharaja refuse the permission?
Answer : The British officer’s secretary told the Maharaja that he himself could kill the tiger and then allow his officer to get
photographed holding the gun over the dead tiger. The Maharaja did not agree to his request because he felt doing so would
mean other officers may come with similar demands.
Question 9 : How did the Maharaja overcome the difficulty created by a high-ranking British officer?
Answer : The Maharaja overcame the difficulty created by a high-ranking British officer and pleased him by sending his wife
50 diamond rings to choose from.
Question 10 : Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state?
Answer : The Maharaja wanted to prove the prediction of the astrologer wrong by killing hundred tigers. He banned tiger
hunting in his state so that all the tigers in his state could be killed by him.
Question 11 : Why did the Maharaja decide to get married?
Answer : In order to defeat the astrologer’s prediction, the Maharaja had to kill a hundred tigers. He has already killed seventy
tigers and the tiger population in his state neared extinction. For this reason, he decided to marry a girl of a state with a rich
tiger population.
Question 12 : The manner of his (Tiger King’s) death is a matter of extraordinary interest. Comment.
Answer : The Tiger King met his end when a splinter from the wooden tiger pricked his hand. This wound became infected. In
spite of being operated by the best surgeons, the Tiger King lost his life.
The irony or interesting fact is that the Tiger King had killed hundred tigers but was killed by a toy tiger.

Question 13 : Who killed the hundredth tiger? Why?

Answer : The hundredth tiger was killed by the hunters. The tiger had fainted from the shock of a bullet whizzing past him. As
the hunters did not want to offend the king by telling him that he had missed the aim, they killed the tiger.
Question 14 : When was the Tiger King in danger of losing his throne?
Answer : Once a high-ranking British officer who was very fond of hunting tigers visited Pratibandpuram. the Maharaja
refused to give him permission to hunt tigers because he himself wanted to kill them. So, the Maharaja stood in danger of
losing his kingdom.
Question 15 : What gave the astrologers the greatest surprise of their life while they were studying the horoscope of the
ten-day old prince?
Answer : When the astrologers were reading the horoscope of the little prince, they were taken by surprise when the ten-day
old infant started speaking and asked about the manner of his death.
Question 16 : Why did the Maharaja double the land tax?

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Answer : Once there came a news of a tiger being spotted at a hillside village but it turned out to be untrue. This infuriated the
Maharaja, and hence he doubled the land tax in order to punish the villagers for the false news.
Question 17 : What sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking British officer? What trait of
the officer does it reveal?
Answer : The Maharaja offered to organise a boar hunt, mouse hunt or even a mosquito hunt for the high-ranking British
officer. This shallowness of the character of the officer is revealed by this incident.
Question 18 : Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger?
Answer : The astrologer had predicted that the Maharaja should be careful of the hundredth tiger he kills, as it may be the
cause of his death. So, he was anxious to kill the hundredth tiger.
Question 19 : How did the Tiger King acquire his name?
Answer : The Tiger King acquired his name as he had killed all the tigers in his state to prove the prediction of the astrologer
wrong. He even married the princess of a state that had a lot of tigers in its jungles so that he could kill them.
Question 20 : What warning did the astrologer give the Tiger King when he killed the first tiger? Did the prediction of
the astrologer come to be true?
Answer : When the Maharaja boasted about killing the first tiger, the astrologer said that he may kill ninety-nine tigers, but
must be very careful with the hundredth tiger. Yes, the astrologer was absolutely true in his prediction, because finally the
Maharaja was killed by the hundredth tiger.
Question 21 : How did the Dewan manage to arrange the hundredth tiger for the Maharaja?
Answer : When the Maharaja threatened the Dewan with dire consequences, he and his wife dragged and shoved the tiger that
was kept in his house, in his car at midnight. He drove the car to the forest where Maharaja was hunting and with great
difficulty took the tiger out of the car.
Question 22 : Why was the Maharaja sunk in gloom even after having killed seventy tigers?
Answer : The Maharaja had managed to kill seventy tigers. As a result, the tiger population became extinct in his kingdom.
This made the Maharaja sunk in gloom because he thought he would not be able to achieve his target of killing a hundred
tigers.
Question 23 : What led the Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt?
Answer : The Maharaja knew the old saying that killing even a cow in self-defence was no sin. So, in order to save his own
life and prove the astrologer’s prediction wrong, he started shooting the tigers he found in the forest of his state.
Question 24 : What happened to the tiger provided by the Dewan Saheb?
Answer : The tiger provided by the Dewan Saheb was very old and stood in complete submission. The Maharaja took aim and
fired, but actually the bullet missed the tiger and it fainted from the sharp sound of the bullet.
Question 25 : Did the Tiger King shoot the hundredth tiger? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer : The Tiger King actually did not shoot the hundredth tiger. The tiger being a weak one fainted from the shock of a
bullet whizzing past him and the ignorant king celebrated his achievement.
Question 26 : Describe the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers.
Answer : The Tiger King stayed in the forest for many days to kill tigers. He spent a ransom of three lakh rupees to impress
the British official and discourage him from killing the tigers. He even went to the extent of marrying to kill the population of
tigers in the neighbourhood state.
Question 27 : How did the Tiger King celebrated his victory over the killing of the hundredth tiger?
Answer : When the Maharaja thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger, his joy knew no bounds. The elated king returned
to his capital and ordered his staff to bring the dead tiger in a grand procession.
Question 28 : What was the Dewan’s tiger like? How did he take it into the forest?
Answer : The Dewan’s tiger was old. At midnight, the Dewan with his wife dragged the tiger to his car and thrust it onto the
seat. With great difficulty, the tiger was pushed out of the car and planted in the forest to be shot by the Maharaja.
6 Marks Questions (120 – 150 Words)
Question 1 : Giving a bribe is an evil practice. How did the Tiger King bribe the British officer to save his kingdom?
How do you view this act of his?
Answer : Once a high ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. As he was fond of hunting tigers, he expressed his wish
of tiger hunting to the king but the king refused permission. Then the British officer requested that he only wanted to he
photographed holding a gun and standing over the dead body of the tiger killed by the Maharaja. However, the Maharaja
denied him this permission also, fearing that it would lead to similar requests from other officers later on.
As the Maharaja did not want to upset the British officer and risk losing his kingdom, he sent fifty diamond rings to the wife of
the officer so that she could choose the one she liked. However, the lady kept all the rings and sent him a lot of thanks. In this
way, the king managed to save his kingdom at the cost of three lakh rupees.
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 Question 2 : Why did Tiger King wish to hunt hundred tigers? How far was he able to fulfil his wish?
Answer : At the Tiger King’s birth the astrologer had predicted that the death of the new born future king would come through
a tiger and he must specially be cautious of the hundredth tiger. Amazingly the new-born prince growled “Let tigers beware!”.
He meant that he would not be afraid of tigers, instead tigers would be afraid of him and he would wipe them out to disprove
the astrologer’s prediction. So, when he came of age, he wreaked havoc on the tiger population in an attempt to hunt a hundred
tigers as soon as it was possible. The Tiger King was able to kill ninety-nine tigers successfully and he was under the
impression that he had also killed the hundredth tiger. But the hundredth tiger had survived his bullet shot. Ironically the death
of the Tiger King was brought about by a toy, a wooden tiger, which he had bought as a special birthday gift for his son.
Question 3 : How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his fate?
Answer : The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, who was also known as the Tiger King tried to go against what was destined in
his fate. The result was tragic and ironical. The chief astrologer had predicted that a tiger would be the cause of the king’s
death and he should specially be cautious of the hundredth tiger. The vain king banned hunting of the tigers in the state by
everyone except himself and was able to kill ninety-nine tigers. He thought he had killed the hundredth tiger also but somehow
the bullet missed its mark and the hundredth tiger survived. Then on his son’s birthday the king bought him a wooden tiger
which he felt was a perfect gift for his son. A silver splinter in it pierced the king’s hand and the infection spread all over his
arm causing his death. It was indeed ironical that despite killing all the tigers in his kingdom, the king did finally become the
victim of the hundredth tiger and the astrologer’s prediction did come true.
Question 4 : Describe the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers.
Answer : The chief astrologer had told the king that his death would come from a tiger. So, to prove the astrologer wrong the
king decided to kill a hundred tigers. He vowed that he would attend to all other matters only after killing one hundred tigers.
Initially, the king seemed well set to realize him ambition. Then some dangers and difficulties cropped up. There were times
when the bullet missed its mark and at other times the tiger would leap on him and he would have to fight the wild beast with
his bare hands. The Tiger King was able to kill ninety-nine tigers this way and if he could kill just one more tiger all his fears
would be over for good and he could give up tiger hunting. But the hundredth tiger could not be found. The Dewan realised the
disastrous results if the hundredth tiger was not found. So, a tiger was brought in from the People’s Park in Madras and taken
directly to the forest where the Maharaja was hunting. The King took aim and the tiger fell in a heap. The Maharaja was
extremely happy to have finally killed the hundredth tiger. After he left the hunters took a closer look at the tiger and realized
the tiger was not dead as the king had missed the aim. They decided not to tell the Maharaja and one of the hunters killed the
tiger. The king was left under the impression that he had achieved his target of killing a hundred tigers.
Question 5 : The astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true. Do you agree with this
statement?
Answer : I agree with the statement that the astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true. The
astrologer had predicted that Tiger King would be killed by a tiger and that he should be cautious of the hundredth tiger. This
statement of the astrologer forced the king to go on a killing spree. The hundredth tiger was not killed by the king himself but
by the hunters, who found out that the old tiger had not died by the bullet of the king but only fainted when the bullet whizzed
past him.
The hundredth tiger was a wooden toy tiger which the king had presented to his three-year old son. It killed the king when
merely a sliver of wood protruding from it pierced his right hand. The wound developed pus and it soon spread all over his
arm. The best surgeons failed to save the king and thus the astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King proved to
be correct.

JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH

Points to Remember
• Summary
1. The writer visited Antarctica, the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world, aboard the Russian research
vessel, Akademik Shokalskiy.
2. The journey, beginning at Chennai, passed through many areas, geographical, legal, ecological and temporal.
3. The writer’s first reaction to the continent was of relief, followed by wonder at its vastness, seclusion and geological history.
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• Part of History
1. Before human evolution, Antarctica was part of a huge tropical landmass called the Gondwana land, which flourished 500
million years ago.
2. Biological (flora and fauna), geological (changing continents) and geographical (climatic)changes occurred and Antarctica
separated and moved away evolving into what it is today.
3. A visit to Antarctica gave the writer a deeper understanding of fold mountains, the earth’s history, ecology and environment.
4. The writer felt unsettled in two weeks’ time not only because she came from a much hotter place, but also because all features
of human civilization were absent from an already desolate landscape.
5. The long summers, the silence broken occasionally by cracking ice sheets and avalanches, the blue whales and ice bergs, all
contribute to an ecological implication that the future for humans isn’t good.
• Human Impact
1. Humans, who are known to have existed for a mere 12000 years, have caused tremendous impact and played havoc with
nature.
2. Population explosion, putting a strain on available resources, carbon emissions, fossil fuels and global warming have all
resulted in climatic and ecological imbalances that have also affected Antarctica.
3. Antarctica, though unpopulated, has been affected and there are concerns for its half a million-year-old carbon records trapped
under its ice sheets.
4. The ‘Students on Ice’ programme, an initiative of Canadian adventure educator, Geoff Green takes students on expeditions to
Antarctica, to create awareness in them, the future policy makers.
5. The stark proof of global warming and environmental threats helps students attain an understanding of ecosystems and
biodiversity of our planet.
6. An amazing display of the food chain of the Southern Ocean helps in the understanding that further depletion of the ozone
layer, will set off a chain reaction that will affect the global carbon cycle.
7. The simple truth is, take care of the small things and the bigger ones will automatically be taken care of.
• Walk on The Ocean
1. Before their return, the writer got an opportunity to walk on the ocean at 65.55 degrees south, which made her realize that she
was walking on 180 meters of ocean water, a rich kaleidoscope of life.
2. Reaching home, she wondered whether Antarctica would ever be warm again, how much difference a million years can make
and, that each day makes a difference.

NCERT Questions (Think as you read)

Q1. How does the geological phenomenon help us to know about the history of mankind?
Ans Geological phenomena gives one an insight into why and how the present landforms came into being. About six hundred
and fifty million years ago, there existed a giant southern supercontinent Gondwana. It thrived for 500 million years and finally
it broke into separate countries as they exist today.
By visiting Antarctica, we can know from where we have come from and where we are heading. It also helps us understand the
importance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian Granite shields, ozone and carbon and also about the evolution and
extinction. Its ice cores hold more than half –million-year-old carbon records which are useful for the study of past.

Q2. What is the indication for the future of mankind?

• Future of mankind appears dismal.
• Increase in population has led to a “population boom.”
• Greatly depleted our resources of nature that destroyed forests and extinction of certain species of wildlife.
• Excessive burning of fossil fuels has created a blanket of carbon dioxide around the earth.
• Antarctic environment has been affected by global warming- this is clear from receding glaciers and collapsing ice shelves.
• These grave indications do not anger will for the future of mankind
NCERT QUESTIONS (understanding the text)
Q1 How is the study of this region useful to us?
• Antarctica – only place in the world remaining pristine (never sustained human population)
• holds in its ice-cores half million-year-old carbon records
• only place to study Earth’s past, present and future
• gives an insight into how the earth forms and continents as they are today coming into being
• tells us about repercussions of environmental changes (phytoplankton’s)
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 can enable us to
• study problems of global warming (glacier retreating, ice-shelves collapsing)
• concept of evolution and extinction
• significance of Cordilleran folds and granite shields; ozone and carbon

Q.2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students on Ice Expedition?
Ans: A visit to Antarctica makes it quite clear and there one can see the ice shelves melting. ‘Students on Ice’ is
a programme headed by Canadian Geoff Green. He aims at organizing this programme by taking high school students to
the ends of the world. He thinks it most essential to provide the students with inspiring educational opportunities to know
more about the Antarctica. Through this they will generate a new understanding and respect for our planet. Earlier Geoff
Green had organized programme with celebrities and rich people which gave him back only in a limited way. Since the
students are young minds and full of adventurous activities they can learn, act and absorb much by visiting the Antarctica.
They can see through their own eye’s glaciers retreating and ice-shelves collapsing. They can realize the future dangers,
catastrophic effect of climatic changes and the global warming. The Antarctica provides the young students a perfect place
to study the varied changes occurring in the environment. These little changes can have significant consequences. The
students can see those grasses of the sea that flourish, nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. Thus,
the programme provides a lively study of changes and the realities going on the Antarctica.

Q3. ‘Take care of small things and big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the
context of the Antarctica’s Environment?
Ans : Antarctica has a simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity ,it is the best
place to study how little changes in the environment can have big consequences.
The author gives the example of very small single celled plants called phytoplankton which nourish and sustain the entire
Southern Ocean ‘s food chain. The phytoplankton uses the energy to absorb carbon and also synthesize various organic
compounds through photosynthesis. Scientists have forewarned that if Ozone layer depletes any further it will have a direct
impact on the activities of the phytoplankton this will lead to a chain reaction adversely affecting the lives of marine animals
and birds of the region which will further result in the disturbance global carbon cycle.
So, it is expected of man to pay special attention to tiny forms of animal and plant life and prevent the depletion of ozone
layer by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. If we take care of small things big things will automatically fall into place

Q4. Why is Antarctica a place to go to, to understand Earth’s present, past and future?
Ans. Antarctica is a place to go to, to understand Earth’s present, past and future.
Six hundred and fifty million years ago, the present-day Antarctica was surrounded by a giant amalgamated Southern
supercontinent called Gondwana. Thus, Antarctica belongs to ancient geological era when human beings had not yet evolved,
the climate was warm in the continent and supported a huge variety of flora and fauna. Later, the dinosaurs were wiped out and
mammals began to evolve. At this juncture Gondwana got separated into countries. So, to visit Antarctica is now to be a part of
that history. It is to understand the significance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields; ozone and carbon;
evolution and extinction. (past)
Since the planet is unravaged by human population and civilization, it remains relatively pristine. Its ice cores hold more than
half –million-year-old carbon records which are useful for the study of past, present and future of our planet.
We can realize the threat of global warming by seeing glaciers’ melting and ice shelves collapsing. (present)
Antarctica is the best place to study how little changes in the environment can have big repercussions. Phytoplanktons nourish
and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. Further depletion in the ozone layer would affect the lives of all the marine
animals and birds of the region and the global carbon cycle. It could also lead to the end of the world. In this way it suggests
future possibilities about our planet. (future)

LONG QUESTIONS
Q1 Describe the author’s journey to the end of the Earth?
Ans The Author was part of the ‘Student on Ice programme’ which made her head to Antarctic. To go there she boarded the
Russian research vessel –Akademik Shokalsky and headed towards Antarctica. Crossed nine time zones, six checkpoints, three
water bodies and many ecospheres.
She was with a group of teenagers on ‘Student on Ice ‘programme, whose aim was to develop new understanding and respect
for the planet They closely saw glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing and began to realize that the threat of global
warming was very real. Most enjoyable

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 experience of the author was walking on the ocean with a metre-thick ice underneath and 180 metres of living, breathing salt
water below the ice.
Q2 Describe the impact of Antarctica on the writer.
It was an amazing, alluring and mind-boggling experience.
Amazed to see the wide stretch of sea under the blue horizon. It was a place which has the history of mankind embedded deep
into the layers of the ice.
The sight of collapsing ice shields, breaking of ice-bergs and melting of ice was an eye opener. It made the author and his team
aware of the dangers the future times are having in their folds.
Q3. What is the significance of the title` Journey to the End of the Earth’.
The title, ‘Journey to the End of the Earth,’ has more than one meaning. It describes an educational journey to Antarctica
undertaken by groups of high school students to learn more about the real impact of Global Warming and the future of the
earth. 52 students went to the coldest, driest, windiest continent in the world called Antarctica in a Russian research vessel, the
Akademik Shokalskiy.
The author calls it a journey to the end of the earth because it began 13.09-degree North of Equator in Madras, involved
crossing nine time zones, six checkpoints, three oceans and three ecospheres. She travelled over 100 hours in combination of a
car, an aero plane and a ship. The journey, being to the extreme south of the earth, is really towards the end of it. Another
meaning of this title is more significant as the warnings that Antarctica gives are shocking and much concerning the humanity
and the millions of other species on the earth. The changes taking place in Antarctica are pointing a warning finger at the
existence of the earth; the earth is journeying to its end!
What is going to happen to our planet? What will happen to this earth after another million years? No one can say but
Antarctica can give us some hints. The coldest place of the earth, Antarctica warns us to take care of the earth so that it will
take care of us!
Yes, we the human beings have indeed caused a lot of harm to this earth. We multiplied in the last 12000 years of our
existence and brought every species under our control and destroyed many of them for our water, for our food, for our shelter,
for our fun. Now stop and listen to the warnings from Antarctica. It was once a dry and hot landmass. Forget how it became
cold. Now the big thing is that it is going to become that same dry, hot landmass again! If so, what will happen to the dry
regions of the earth? Will they turn up to cold continents again? If you don’t believe these facts, come to Antarctica and start
digging the miles-deep ice-sheets. You will discover layers after layers rich with the well-preserved fossils of a lot of unknown
animals and birds and trees. Join us, to the Journey to the End of the Earth to see if the world is really journeying to its end.

Bit/Bits

• Students on Ice is an educational trip to Antarctica

• It is organized by Geoff Green
• Destination – Antarctica
• Participants – Mostly youngsters
• Starting from – India, Canada, etc.
• Duration – Two weeks or more
• Purpose – Teach the new generation of the disaster that the earth is facing today and of the end of the earth
• When you reach Antarctica, you feel like being part of its history of human occupation.

Opening – ‘Students on Ice.’

1. What is ‘Students on Ice?’
‘Students on Ice’ is an educational journey to Antarctica. It takes high school students to show them the horrifying impacts of
human activities in Antarctica so that the youngsters, the future policy makers of the earth, will realize that the end of the earth
is quite near and therefore something is to be done to save the planet.
2. Why did Geoff Green decide to take high school students to Antarctica?
Geoff Green didn’t find any good in taking curious celebrities to Antarctica until he thought of taking high school students. He
believed the young enthusiasm in them would easily understand the seriousness of the threat that poses the earth by visiting
Antarctica and they would act their bit to save the planet from further deterioration.
3. Why is Students on Ice Program a success?
When one stands in the midst of the calving ice-sheets and retreating glaciers and melting ice-bergs, he realizes that the threats
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 to the earth are real. It is different from talking about Antarctica from the comfort zones of our warm countries and therefore
being in Antarctica is a shocking realization.
4. Why are the youngsters called the future policy makers of the earth?
The youngsters are called the future policy-makers because it is they who will steer the government-machine as they grow up.
More than that, the more educated youth of today is the hope for the earth as many students are more informed and more aware
of the weakening strength of the planet.
5. What lessons are we able to learn from Antarctica?
While in Antarctica, we can ice-sheets breaking, water level rising, seals taking sun bath on the ice-floes. We can also walk on
the thin layers of ice and feel the life under our feet. We can see icebergs as big as a small country. We will be shocked to hear
that these ice sheets were many times bigger than their present size a few years ago. You will see a green patch of
phytoplankton – a microscopic grass that feeds the entire marine life. Last of all, if you dig a bit, you will be lucky to see the
fossils of half a million-year-old animals, plants and birds that got killed in the previous ice-age. From all this, we are able to
learn the lesson of the death of the planet earth.
6. What are phytoplanktons? How are they important for the earth’s survival? What does the parable of phytoplankton
teach us?
Phytoplankton is a single-celled grass that feed the entire southern ocean’s marine life. These micro-organisms require a low
degree of temperature for their survival. But due to the overheating and the depletion of ozone layers, their existence is
threatened. The message for the humans is to take care of the small things so that the bigger things will also fall in place.
7. What beauty of balance does the author see in Antarctica and in the warm countries?
While in Antarctica the author saw crab-eater seals having sun-bath on the ice-floes much like the stray dogs’ sleep under the
shade of trees in the warmer countries. While the polar animals prefer a bit of warmth, the tropical ones desire a bit cool. The
author believes that the earth has a balancing of climatic variations and after millions of years the Polar Regions will once
again become warmer and the warmer will turn cool.
8. How is Antarctica significant in climatic debates?
Antarctica is a continent that has a landmass with miles deep ice, layers over layers. In each of those layers lie millions of
years old carbon records of the organisms that existed since the beginning of the earth. While pondering over the issue of the
future of the earth, these carbon records will shed light on the past and enable the scientist to co-relate the past, present and
future.
9. Do you think that programs like the Students on Ice do more harm than good? Support your answer.
I personally feel that such trips do more harm than good. We have ruined the earth as much as we could and as wide as we
could go. Because Antarctica was far away and extremely cold, it could keep the most dangerous animal away from it but now
we have so many reasons to go to this pristine continent. Please, please stop it. Let’s not encourage such trips. After all, what
else do we have to learn about the earth than the fact that we have ruined it beyond reparation and repair. Geoff Green, no, it is
evident that you have been running a business, not a service. Please spare Antarctica. Stop Students on Ice program!

THE ENEMY
Short Answer Type of Questions (30-40 words)

Question.1. Why did Dr Sadao treat the American soldier even though, it was an unpatriotic act On his part?
Answer. Dr Sadao treated the American prisoner of war because as a doctor, he was trained to save lives. He could not have
let the injured soldier die even though he was his national enemy, as that would have been against his professional ethics.

Question.2. How did Hana help Dr Sadao?

Answer. Hana was an impeccable wife and stood by her husband in all his. decisions. She helped Dr Sadao when he was
operating upon the enemy and also nursed and washed the prisoner herself when the servants had flatly refused to do so.

Question.3. Why did the General not order immediate arrest of Dr Sadao who had sheltered a Whiteman?
Answer. The General did not usually keep in good health and trusted no other surgeon but Dr Sadao in his time of need and
could have needed his services anytime. This is why he did not order immediate arrest of the doctor for harboring an enemy in
his house.

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Question.4. What forced Dr Sadao to be impatient and irritable with his patient?
Answer. The wounded white man urgently needed an operation as he was critically injured. Hana was with Sadao when, he
started operating on the prisoner. Hana, who had never seen an operation in her life, vomited at the sight of blood. Sadao
wanted to help her in her distress but he could not leave his patient. This made him impatient and irritable.
Question.5. What made a cool surgeon like Sadao speak sharply to his wife and what was her reaction?
Answer. Hana had never seen an operation before. When Sadao started operating, blood began to flow. Hana choked at this
moment. Sadao sharply told her not to faint because if he had stopped, the wounded man would surely have died. Hana clasped
her hands to her mouth and ran out. Sadao heard her vomit.
Question.6. Why had Hana to wash the wounded man herself?
or
Why did Hana wash the wounded soldier herself?
Answer. Hana had to wash the wounded man herself because her servants and even her maidservant flatly refused to wash an
enemy American out of superstition and fear.
Question.7. How did Dr Sadao ensure that the American sailor left his house but he himself remained safe and secure?
Answer. The night the man escaped as per the plan; Dr Sadao slept well. One evening standing on the verandah, Dr Sadao
looked towards the island. There was no signal of the flashlight. It meant that the man had gone, safe on a Korean fishing boat.
In this way, he ensured the American’s departure and his own safety and security.

Question.8. How does the writer indicate that Dr Sadao’s father was a very traditional and conventional man?
Answer. Sadao’s education had been his father’s chief concern, who even sent him to America at the age of twenty-two to
study surgery and medicine. Sadao’s father was a true patriot and took immense pride in Japanese culture and traditions. That
is why Sadao married Hana only after confirming that she was a Japanese, as he did not want to upset his father. This suggests
that Sadao’s father was a very traditional and conventional man.
Question.9. Why did the messenger come to Dr Sadao? What did Hana think about it?
Answer. The messenger had come to Dr Sadao’s house to inform him that the old General was in pain again and had to be
attended to. When Hana first saw the uniformed messenger, she got frightened, for she thought that he had come to arrest her
husband for harbouring an enemy in their house.
Question.10. Why did the General spare the American soldier?
Answer. The General spared the American soldier because he was a selfish man. He thought of nothing but his own life. He
needed Sadao for his operation and he forgot about his promise in his pain.
Question.11.Why was Dr Sadao not sent to the battlefield?
Answer. Dr Sadao was not sent abroad with the troops because the ailing General trusted no other surgeon but Dr Sadao and
could have needed his expert services anytime.
Question.12.How did Dr Sadao get rid of the enemy soldier?
Answer. Dr Sadao planned out everything beforehand. He put his boat on the shore with food and extra clothing. He asked the
American prisoner of war to row to a little island near the coast and then wait for a Korean ship to pass. He also gave the
American his flashlight completes with instructions on how to signal him in a time of distress.

Question.13.What secret plan did the General have about the American soldier staying under the care of Sadao?
Answer. The General planned to get the American soldier staying under the care of Dr Sadao assassinated by his private
assassins. He assured the doctor about the removal of the dead body also.

Question.14.Hana told Yumi to wash the soldier. How did Yumi react?
Answer. When Hana asked Yumi to wash the soldier, she bluntly refused to do so, saying that she had never washed a white
man and she would not wash a dirty one. Yumi obstinately told Hana that she was a poor person and did not want to associate
with the man.

Question.15.Why did the servants leave Dr Sadao’s house?

Answer. The servants left Dr Sadao’s house because they did not approve of the white man staying in the surgeon’s house.
They thought that Sadao’s stay in America during his education had erased all his sentiments for his country. Also, they did
not want to be in trouble with the authorities if Sadao was arrested as a traitor.

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 Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 Words)

Question.16.What was the General’s plan to get rid of the American prisoner? Was it executed? What traits of the
General’s character are highlighted in the lesson?
Answer. Dr Sadao informed the General about the presence of the American prisoner at his house. The General decided that
his private assassins would take care of him and even take his body away Sadao agreed to the General’s proposal. However,
the General’s assassins did not arrive for the next three days. Consequently, the General’s plan was not executed. Sadao spent
three restless nights in waiting for the assassins; ultimately, he helped the prisoner escape.
When Sadao informed the General about the escape of the prisoner, the General replied that he was sick and thus forgot about
the whole affair. He further wanted that Sadao must not inform anybody about this.
This shows that the General was highly selfish. He had regard only for his own safety and pride. Also, he did not send Sadao to
the battlefield as he needed his services himself. He considered himself more important than the lives of thousands of soldiers.

Question.17. What conflicting ideas arise in Dr Sadao’s mind after he has brought the wounded
American soldier home? How is the conflict resolved?
Answer. From the day Dr Sadao found the wounded soldier outside his house, he had been caught up in a web of conflicts and
difficulties.
The first difficulty arose when Sadao decided to operate upon the soldier. He was caught between his duty as a doctor and
loyalty towards his nation. Nonetheless, Sadao emerged a champion in this regard. As an ethical and sincere doctor, he saved
the life of the soldier and as a responsible citizen, he also informed the General about the presence of the soldier. Next, when
the General’s men did not arrive to kill the enemy, Sadao was again caught in a conflict as to how to*get rid of the white man.
His innate virtues of compassion and benevolence forbade him from killing the man. Thus, he decided to let the prisoner
escape by sending him off to an unguarded island.
This is how Dr Sadao successfully resolved the conflict.

Question.18.Do you think Dr Sadao’s final decision was the best possible one in the circumstances? Why/Why not?
Explain with reference to the story, ‘The Enemy’.
Answer. Dr Sadao’s final decision was the best possible one in the given circumstances. He has the instincts of a doctor. When
Tom, the prisoner of war, was found wounded, the first thing he did was to save his life. As a doctor, he was duty bound to
save lives.
Next, he completed the duty towards his nation by informing the General about the presence of the prisoner.
But finally, he helped the enemy escape. His compassionate heart rose above the narrow confines of hatred and war. As a
doctor, Sadao could not have left the wounded prisoner of war unattended and so he decided to operate upon him and save his
life. However, at the same time, he discharged his duty towards his nation by informing the General about the enemy. And
finally, the surgeon helped the enemy escape because his compassionate heart forbade him to kill the same person whom he
had saved.

Question.19.What impression do you form about Dr Sadao as a man and as a surgeon on your reading the chapter The
Enemy’?
Answer. After going through the chapter, ‘The Enemy’, we come to the conclusion that Dr Sadao was an excellent surgeon
and a human being per excellence. He appeared to be a man full of; compassion and a surgeon in the truest sense of the word.
Although he had a bitter experience of Americans being prejudiced when he was a student in America, he did not let that
bitterness overwhelm him and the doctor and fine human being in him prevailed. He knew that, if being found that he had
harboured an American POW in his own house, tie would be labelled a traitor.
His conscience did not permit to let a human being die before his eyes and he took the risk of being called a traitor. It was not
that he was a traitor. He promptly informed the General about the whole incident. It showed that he was not a coward. He was
ready to face the consequences.

Question.20.Why did Sadao help the American soldier to escape? How did he do it?
Answer. Sadao’s expertise in his profession and compassion as a human being were his most dominant personality traits. As a
dutiful doctor, he could not have let the prisoner die of his injuries and so he saved his life. At the same time, he acted like a
responsible citizen and informed the General of the presence of the enemy. However, when the General’s men did not come to
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kill the American Sadao decided to save his life.
Dr Sadao gave his boat to the young soldier, arranged food for him and provided him valuable information which helped him
escape successfully. This is how Sadao helped the American soldier flee and thereby saved his life.

Question.21. Why did Sadao Hoki go to America? Narrate his experiences there.
Answer. Sadao Hoki went to America to study surgery and medicine as it was the wish of his father. His experience of living
in America was not very good but he was grateful to have some good professors who taught him so well. Also, he was grateful
to the professor at whose home he had met Hana and immediately liked her. But he did not like the smell of their food, their
small room and the wife of his professor, who was vbry talkative, although she tried hard to be kind.
Initially, he had faced great difficulty in finding a place to live in America because he was a Japanese. He perceived that
Americans were full of prejudice and for him it was a bitter experience to live with them.

Question.22.Dr Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife,
sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?
Answer. As a doctor, it was Dr Sadao’s moral responsibility to save Tom, the American prisoner of war, but Hana was under
no such compulsion. In spite of this, she abided by her husband’s; decisions because she was a dutiful wife who pledged to
support her husband even through the most difficult times.
Secondly, Hana being a woman, was soft-hearted. She could not see a wounded person being left in the lurch. As a woman,
she adorned the role of a life-giver and a preserver. She could not have been a destroyer. That is why she cleaned the prisoner
when her maid was unwilling to do so. She also assisted her husband in the operation on the American, despite the fact that she
could not stand the blood, and started vomiting when she saw it. She was thus a dutiful wife and life-giver.

Question 1 : What was his father’s chief concern for Sadao?

Answer : Sadao’s father was chiefly concerned about Sadao’s education. He took a lot of pains and sent Sadao to America to
study surgery and medicine. He came up to his father’s expectations by becoming a famous surgeon as well as a scientist.
Question 2 : Where, when and how did Dr Sadao meet Hana?
Answer : Dr Sadao met Hana in America when he was studying surgery there. He met her at a get-together arranged by an
American professor at his home for foreign students.
Question 3 : Why was Dr Sadao not sent abroad along with the troops?
Answer : Dr Sadao was not sent abroad with the troops because the ailing General trusted no other surgeon but Dr Sadao and
could have needed his expert services anytime. Apart from this, he was also perfecting a discovery.
Question 4 : In what condition did Dr Sadao find the American soldier at the seashore?
Answer : Dr Sadao found the American soldier in a wounded condition at the seashore. He was very weak and pale, had a
bullet stuck in his wound and his back was stained with blood. He was almost at the verge of death.
Question 5 : What role did the American professor play in bringing Hana and Sadao together?
Answer : The American professor was kind and he invited a number of foreign students at his home and Hana and Sadao were
among them. This eventually led to bringing Hana and Sadao together.
Question 6 : What was Sadao’s father’s dream for him? How did Sadao realise it?
Answer : Sadao’s father dreamt of making Sadao a doctor. Sadao realised his dream by going to America to study surgery and
medicine. He came back to Japan and became a famous surgeon and scientist before his father died.
Question 7 : Why did Dr Sadao treat the American solider even though, it was an unpatriotic act on his part?
Answer : Dr Sadao treated the American prisoner of war because as a doctor, he was trained to save lives. He could not have
let the injured soldier die even though he was his natural enemy ,as that would have been against his professional ethics.
Question 8 : How did Hana help Dr Sadao?
Answer : First Hana washed the wounded man’s face and body with warm water till it was quite clean. She then assisted Dr
Sadao during the operation. She brought in the towels and though she was not comfortable at the sight of the bleeding wound,
she gave anesthesia to the patient.
Question 9 : Why did the General did not order immediate arrest of Dr Sadao who had sheltered a white man?
Answer : The General did not usually keep in good health and trusted no other surgeon but Dr Sadao in his time of need and
could have needed his services anytime. This is why he did not order immediate arrest of the doctor for harbouring an enemy
in his house.
Question 10 : In what context does Hana remember the cruel nature of General Takima?

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Answer : Hana remembered General Takima who at home used to beat his wife cruelly. She inferred that if he was so cruel
with his wife, he would be extremely cruel with American prisoners.
Question 11 : How nearly did Dr Sadao miss marrying Hana?
Answer : Dr Sadao had met Hana literally by chance at an American professor’s house. He actually did not want to go there as
the rooms of the house were small, the food was bad and the professor’s wife was rather voluble. But nevertheless, had gone
there.
Question 12 : What forced Dr. Sadao to be impatient and irritable with his patient?
Answer : Hana had never seen an operation and the sight of Dr Sadao operating on the soldier made her sick and she rushed to
the garden to retch. Dr Sadao knew how distressed Hana was and his inability to go to her made him impatient and irritable
with his patient.
Question 13 : What made a cool surgeon like Sadao speak sharply of his wife and what was his reaction?
Answer : Hana had never seen an operation before. When Sadao started operating, blood began to flow. Hana choked at this
moment. Sadao sharply told her not to faint because if he had stopped, the wounded man would surely have died. Hana
clapped her hands to her mouth and ran out.
Question 14 : Did Hana think the Japanese tortured their prisoners of war? Why?
Answer : When Hana noticed the deep red scars on the American soldier’s neck, she worriedly hoped that he had not been
tortured by the Japanese. She knew it was a common practice for the Japanese to torture their prisoners of war in the most
brutal manner.
Question 15 : What did Dr Sadao seek from Hana while operating on the wounded white man?
Answer : Dr Sadao sought Hana’s help while operating on the wounded white man by asking her to bring in the towels. He
also told her to give anesthesia to the patient.
Question 16 : Who sent the messenger to Dr Sadao? What for?
Answer : The messenger had come to Dr Sadao’s house to inform him that the old General was in pain again and had to be
attended to. Hana got frightened on seeing him, for she thought that he had come to arrest her husband.
Question 17 : Why had Hana to wash the wounded man herself?
Answer : Hana had to wash the wounded soldier as her maidservant, Yumi, refused to wash him. Hana wanted the help the
wounded soldier as he was helpless so she washed him herself.
Question 18 : How did Dr Sadao plan the American prisoner’s escape?
Answer : Dr Sadao planned out everything beforehand. He put his boat on the shore with food and extra clothing. He asked
the American prisoner of war to row to a little island near the coast and then wait for a Korean ship to pass.
Question 19 : How did Dr Sadao ensure that the American sailor left his house but he himself remained safe and
secure?
Answer : Dr Sadao helped the American sailor by giving him a boat, rations, clothes and even a torch light with which he
could indicate in case his supplies ran out. He made sure that the soldier was strong enough to take his chance and save his life.
Question 20 : How does the writer indicate that Dr Sadao’s father was a very traditional and conventional man?
Answer : Sadao’s father was a true patriot and took immense pride in Japanese culture and traditions. He did not like any
foreign things in his room. That is why Sadao married Hana only after confirming that she was a Japanese.
Question 21 : Why did the General spare the American soldier?
Answer : The General spared the American soldier because he was a selfish man. He thought of nothing but his own life. He
needed Sadao for his operation and he forgot about his promise in his pain.
Question 22 : How did the gardener react when Dr Sadao told him about the wounded American soldier?
Answer : The gardener pulled a few hairs from his upper lip when Dr Sadao told him about the American soldier. He was
frightened and told Hana that the soldier ought to die and if Dr Sadao heals him, the gun and the sea would take revenge on
them.
Question 23 : How was the plan of the prisoner’s escape executed in the story ‘The Escape’?
Answer : The prisoner was made to row to a nearby island where no one lived. All the necessary things were given to him. He
was told to signal two flashes if ran out of food. When Dr Sadao received no signal, he was convinced the prisoner had
escaped safely.
Question 24 : What secret plan did the General have about the American soldier staying under the care of Sadao?
Answer : The General planned to get the American soldier staying under the care of Dr Sadao assassinated by his private
assassins. He assured the doctor about the removal of the dead body also.
Question 25 : Hana told Yumi to wash the soldier. How did Yumi react?

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Answer : When Hana asked Yumi to was the soldier, she bluntly refused to do so, saying that he had never washed a white
man and she would not wash a dirty one. Yumi obstinately told Hana that she was a poor person and did not want to associate
with the man.
Question 26 : Why did the servants leave Dr Sadao’s house?
Answer : The servants left Dr Sadao’s house because they did not approve of the white man staying in the surgeon’s house.
Also, they did not want to be in trouble with the authorities if Sadao was arrested as a traitor.
6 Marks Questions (120 – 150 Words)

Question 1 : Dr Sadao faced a dilemma. Should he use his surgical skills to save the life of a wounded person or hand an
escaped American POW over to the Japanese police? How did he resolve this clash of values?
Answer : Dr Sadao gives priority to his professional ethics over his patriotism and uses his surgical skills to save the life of a
wounded man even though he belonged to the enemy’s camp. He rises above narrow prejudices and realises his duty as a
doctor. The surgeon in him instinctively inspires him to operate upon the dying soldier and save his life. But he is also a
responsible and patriotic citizen of his country so he decides to inform a senior Japanese Army General about the prisoner’s
presence in his house and even agrees to have him killed by the General’s assassins. He even spends three restless nights
waiting for the assassins to carry out their job. But the assassins do not arrive. In this way, Dr. Sadao is able to resolve the
clash of his values and appease his conscience of having done his duty as a responsible citizen of his country.
Question 2 : Dr Sadao was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated surgeon. How could he honour both the values?
Answer : Dr Sadao was indeed a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated surgeon. An American run-away prisoner in a badly
wounded condition is washed ashore on Japanese doctor Sadao’s doorstep. The doctor is initially a little hesitant to save the
prisoner’s life when the discovers the latter’s real identity. But being a dedicated surgeon, he decides to treat the enemy
soldier. He is able to save the prisoner’s life but being a patriotic Japanese, he informs a senior Japanese Army General about
the prisoner’s presence in his house and even agrees to have him killed by the General’s assassins. He waits for the assassins to
carry out their job but when they do not arrive, he gives the prisoner his boat and helps him to escape safely thus honouring
both the values that he was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated surgeon.
Question 3 : How did the arrival of the prisoner destroy the peace of Sadao’s home?
Answer : The arrival of the prisoner does destroy the peace of Sadao’s home. At the onset Dr Sadao and his wife are anxious
and confused whether they should save the wounded soldier who they know is an American. The servants in Dr. Sadao’s house
are against his decision of harbouring a soldier from the enemy’s camp. Yumi refuses to wash the American soldier as he was
a white man. The cook and gardener criticise Dr Sadao and threaten to leave the house. Finally, all the servants leave. Dr
Sadao’s home and Hana, stands by him but is in constant terror. The messenger from the General frightens Hana. She fears her
husband will be condemned as a traitor. Dr Sadao himself is in a dilemma. Being a patriotic Japanese citizen, he doubts the
rightness of his act. It is only after the prisoner leaves that things start getting normal in Dr Sadao’s house.
Question 4 : What was the General’s plan to get rid of the American prisoner? Was it executed? What traits of
General’s character are highlighted in the lesson?
Answer : Dr Sadao informed the General about the presence of an American prisoner at his house. The General decided that
his private assassins would kill him and would even take his body away. Sadao agreed to the General’s proposal. However, the
General’s assassins did not arrive for the next three days.
When Sadao informed the General about the escape of the prisoner, the General replied that he was sick and thus forgot about
the whole affair. He further wanted that Sadao must not inform anybody about this.

This shows that the General was highly selfish. He had regard only for his own safety and pride. Also, the did not send Sadao
to the battlefield as he needed his services himself. He considered himself more important than the lives of thousands of
soldiers.

Question 5 : What conflicting ideas arise in Dr Sadao’s mind after he has brought the wounded American solider
home? How is the conflict resolved?
Answer : From the day Dr Sadao found the wounded soldier outside his house, he had been caught up in a web of conflicts
and difficulties.
The first difficulty arose when Sadao decided to operate upon the soldier. He was caught between his duty as a doctor and
loyalty towards his nation. Nonetheless, Sadao emerged as a champion in this regard. As an ethical and sincere doctor, he
saved the life of the soldier. Next, when the General’s men did not arrive to kill the enemy, Sadao was again caught in a
conflict as to how to get rid of the white man. His innate virtues of compassion and benevolence forbade him from killing the

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man. Thus, he decided to let the prisoner escape by sending him off to an unguarded island.
This is how Dr Sadao successfully resolved the conflict.

Question 6 : Explain the reactions of the servants in Dr Sadao’s house when he decided to give shelter to an enemy in
the house.
Answer : The servants in Dr Sadao’s house were openly defiant to the fact that they had decided to give shelter to an enemy in
the house. They did not even enter’s the American soldier’s room and did not want to stay in the same house where the enemy
soldier was lodged. They doubted their master’s very loyalty towards his own country. Though they were mindful of their
courtesies but their eyes were cold. Yumi refused to clean the enemy soldier. The old gardener was sore that Dr Sadao had not
let the young man bleed and die. He felt if his master healed what first the gun and the sea did, they would be avenged. The
cook too was most contemptuous of the fact that their master was so proud of his skill to save life that he saved any person’s
life even though he was their enemy. Finally, all the servants left Dr Sadao’s house together.
Question 7 : Do you think Dr Sadao’s final decision was the best possible one in the circumstances? Why/Why not?
Explain with reference to the story, ‘The Enemy’.
Answer : Dr Sadao rose above narrow prejudices of race and country and not only saved the young American soldier from
dying, but also helped him to escape. Basic human goodness overpowered Dr Sadao and the final decision that he took was
indeed the best possible one in the circumstances. He could not hand over a dying man, even if he was an enemy, to the police.
The ethics of his profession had taught him to save a dying man. His essential love for humanity and his sincerity towards his
duty as a doctor transcend all other narrow considerations. As a doctor, it was his duty to save a dying man and so he put aside
all other options and respected the ideals and principles of his profession.
Question 8 : Dr Sadao was more a dutiful doctor than a loyal citizen. Substantiate the statement by quoting suitable
evidence from the story, ‘The Enemy’.
Answer : Dr Sadao is a dutiful doctor when it comes to commitment towards his profession even his obligation towards his
country becomes secondary to him. He brings back to life a man who is on the verge of death without caring about the fact that
the person whose life he is saving is a soldier of the enemy camp. It is Dr Sadao’s conscience and professional ethics that
supersede his patriotism and so he saves the American soldier. He rises above narrow prejudices as he realizes that his job as a
doctor is to save a life and not to take it away. Even after he told the General everything about the American soldier, he felt
restless for three consecutive nights at the thought that he was actually waiting for someone to be killed. Finally, he decided to
help the soldier to escape so that he could be at peace with himself and put his body and his mind to rest.
Question 9 : What impression do you form about Dr Sadao as a man and as a surgeon on your reading the chapter
‘The Enemy’?
Answer : After going through the chapter, ‘The Enemy’, we come to the conclusion that Dr Sadao was an excellent surgeon
and a human being par excellence. He appeared to be a man full of compassion and a surgeon in the truest sense of the word.
Although he had a bitter experience of Americans, being prejudices when he was a student in America, he did not let that
bitterness overwhelm him and the doctor and fine human being in him prevailed. He knew that, if being found that he had
harboured an American POW in his own house, he would be labelled a traitor.

His conscience did not permit to let a human being die before his eyes and he took the risk of being called a traitor. It was not
that he was a traitor. He promptly informed the General about the whole incident. It showed that he was not a coward. He was
ready to face the consequences.

Question 10 : Why did Sadao help the American soldier to escape? How did he do it?
Answer : Sadao’s expertise in his profession and compassion as a human being were his most dominant personality traits. As a
dutiful doctor, he could not have let the prisoner die of his injuries and so he saved his life. At the same time, he acted like a
responsible citizen and informed the General of the presence of the enemy in his house. However, when the General’s men did
not come to kill the American, Sadao decided to save his life.
Dr Sadao didn’t want to throw him into the jaws of death again. He asked the young soldier to take his private boat at night. He
should row in the cover of darkness to a little deserted island nearby. The young American could live there until he saw a
Korean fishing boat pass by. Food, bottled water and two quilts were put inside the boat. If the food ran out, he could signal
two flashes.

He was not to signal in darkness because he could be seen. Thus, the young American came down into the darkness of the
garden and escaped.

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Question 11 : Why did Sadao Hoki go to America? Narrate his experiences there.
Answer : Sadao Hoki went to American to study surgery and medicine as it was the wish of his father. His experience of
living in America was not very good but he was grateful to have some good professors who taught him well. Also, he was
grateful to the professor at whose home he had met Hana and immediately liked her. But he did not like the smell of their food,
their small room and the wife of the professor, who was very talkative, although she tried hard to be kind.
Initially, he had faced great difficulty in finding a place to live in America because he was a Japanese. He perceived that
Americans were full of prejudice and for him it was a bitter experience to live with them.

Question 12 : Draw a character sketch of the old General in the lesson, ‘The Enemy’.
Answer : The old General is a man whose personal consideration over-weighed all other considerations. Even though the
Second World War was in progress and a doctor of the caliber of Dr Sadao would have proved to be a blessing for the
wounded soldiers on the front, he was retained in Japan because he was indispensable for the General’s health and well-being.
Despite knowing about the presence of the American soldier at Dr Sadao’s house, he refrains from sending his private
assassins to kill the enemy soldier. He understands Dr Sadao’s importance for his own survival and so does not want to take a
chance in case the assassins accidentally harm Dr Sadao or his wife. The General, therefore, come across a strange and selfish
person who is actually too preoccupied with his own self. He being a General, his illness and his fear of death outweigh all his
other considerations, even those towards his country.
Question 13 : Dr Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife,
sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?
Answer : As a doctor, it was Dr Sadao’s moral responsibility to save Tom, the American prisoner of war, but Hana was under
no such compulsion. In spite of this, she abided by her husband’s decisions because she was a dutiful wife who pledged to
support her husband even through the most difficult times.
Secondly, Hana being a woman, was soft-hearted. She could not see a wounded person being left in the lurch. As a woman,
she adorned the role of a life-giver and a preserver. She could not have been a destroyer. That is why she cleaned the prisoner
when her maid was unwilling to do so. She also assisted her husband in the operation on the American, despite the fact that she
could not stand the blood, and started vomiting when she saw it. She was thus a dutiful wife and life-giver.

Question 14 : Describe the difficulties faced by Dr Sadao when he decided to help the enemy soldier.
Answer : A wounded American soldier who was bleeding was washed away to Dr Sadao’s doorstep. Japan was at war with
America and giving shelter to a US soldier was an anti-national activity for which Dr Sadao could be arrested. He could be
severely punished on charges of harbouring an enemy. Dr Sadao also had to face open defiance from his servants who refused
to cooperate with him and his wife. They thought that the white man ought to die. Dr Sadao was in a fix. He could not hand
over a dying man, even if he was an enemy, to the police and protecting him could lead to Dr Sadao’s arrest. But the ethics of
his profession had taught him to save a dying man irrrespective of all things. So, putting aside his dilemma he did what he
ought to do as a doctor. He not only operated upon and saved the enemy soldier but also arranged for his escape.
Value Based Questions : (120 – 150 Words)

Question 1 : To choose between professional loyalty and patriotism was a dilemma for Dr Sadao. How did he succeed
in betraying neither?
Answer : Dr Sadao is a modern enlightened and educated Japanese surgeon who succeeded in maintaining a balance between
his professional loyalty and patriotism in an admirable manner.
As Japan was at war with America, the White American soldier was considered as his enemy. As a patriotic citizen of Japan.
Dr Sadao was duty bound to hand over the American soldier to the Japanese police.

However, Dr Sadao was a doctor and his duty towards his profession was to save a human life. Dr Sadao resolved the clash of
values in a creative manner. He treated the American soldier by operating him to remove the bullet, thus fulfilling his duty
towards his profession.

Simultaneously, he informed the General about the presence of the American, thus fulfilling his patriotic duty towards his
country.

Question 2 : Good human values are far above any other value system. How did Dr Sadao succeed as a doctor as well as
a patriot?

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Answer : In the lesson ‘The Enemy’ Dr Sadao has been able to prove that good human values are far above any other value
system. He succeeds as a doctor by fulfilling his professional obligations. At the same time he proves that he is no less a patriot
than other Japanese as he informs the General about treating and taking care of bleeding American soldier. He does not want to
hide any fact from the higher authority.
Dr Sadao was a true professional. When he finds a badly wounded American sailor near his home, he decided to operate on
him due to Sadao having good human values. He considered it his moral duty to help a dying man as he valued human life
above everything else.

Question 3 : There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private individuals and
as citizens with a sense of national loyalty. Discuss with reference to the story you have just read.
Answer : There are times when we are faced with difficult choices in life. An individual is torn between his duty towards his
motherland and the moral responsibility of helping a needy person. This is the same dilemma that Sadao is confronted with.
As patriotic citizens of Japan, they (Sadao and his wife) are expected to handover an American prisoner of war to the police.
But it is a doctor’s duty to save a human life. How could Sadao leave Tom bleeding to death?

Similarly, Hana is an epitome of kindness and cannot leave a wounded person to die. When Yumi, the governess does not
wash the wounded man, Hana does so herself. Likewise, Sadao goes through a torturous mental conflict. All these
developments lead Sadao to let the prisoner of war escape safely.

Question 4 : Read the following extract and answer the question that follow.
Dr Sadao and his wife, despite every possibility of being caught, save the life of the American prisoner and finally let
him escape. Nothing is bigger than patriotism, but there is one sentiment that is above all.
What is the value that was displayed by Dr Sadao and his wife?
Answer : Patriotism is undoubtedly important but it is humanity that is above patriotism. Dr Sadao and his wife know that the
Americans are their enemies and that if they let the American prisoner stay, they can land into trouble. Notwithstanding this
possibility, they gave him shelter in their house and treat his wounds. Hana washes his wounds when her mind refuses. Dr
Sadao operates upon him. However, he proves himself loyal to his country by informing the General about the enemy. When
the General’s private assassins fail to turn up, Sadao arranged for the American’s escape. He handles the situation quite
diplomatically.
He conveys a message through his noble gesture that nothing is greater than humanity.

ON THE FACE OF IT
Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 Words)

Question.1. Why did Mr Lamb help Derry?

Answer. Mr Lamb and Derry were both victims of physical impairment or deformity. However, unlike Derry, who became
introvert because of it, Mr Lamb was always full of life. His physical suffering had failed to depress his spirit. Thus, Mr Lamb
helped Derry because he wanted him to change his perspective towards life and enjoy every moment of it.

Question.2. In what sense is the friendship between Mr Lamb and Derry fruitful?
Answer. The friendship that flourished between Mr Lamb and Derry was indeed fruitful. Mr Lamb’s unending enthusiasm and
unceasing zeal to live life despite all odds helped Derry change his outlook towards life. Derry, who was just carrying on an
unhappy existence, was able to see some meaning to his life after meeting Mr Lamb.
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Question.3. If you were to give a different ending to the story, ‘On the Face of It’ how would you end it?
Answer. The ending of the story, ‘On the face of It’ is very sad as Mr Lamb is probably dead. In my opinion, such a beautiful
story should not have such a tragic ending. In the end, Derry should have saved Mr Lamb from falling by holding the ladder at
the last moment. This would have given a message of hope.

Question.4. How does Mr Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool?
Answer. Mr Lamb was a person who could survive and enjoy in all circumstances and seasons. When it got cooler, Mr Lamb
kept himself busy by breaking the crab apples from the trees in his garden and making jelly from them.

Question.5. Why does Mr Lamb leave his gate always open?

Answer. Mr Lamb always left his gate open because he did riot mind strangers entering his house or garden. Probably also
because he was not afraid of anything.

Question.6. What is the bond that unites the two—Mr Lamb, the old and Derry, the small boy? How does the old man
inspire the little boy?
Answer. It is physical disability in different forms, the empathetic feeling that creates a bond, which unites the old man and
Derry. Although both face the same problem, there is a vast difference in the attitude to and perception of the problem.
The old man has an upper hand #n life and experience due to his age, which gives him the zest to inspire the little boy.

Question.7. What qualities of Mr Lamb attracted Derry to him?

Answer. Mr Lamb was aperson full of life. Sadness or negativity found no place in his world. His physical impairment and
people’s humiliating remarks had failed to dampen his spirit. His undying optimism and ever friendly attitude drew Derry
towards him. For Derry, Mr Lamb was his source of inspiration.

Question.8. What did Derry’s mother think of Mr Lamb?

Answer. When Derry informed his mother of Mr Lamb and that he wanted to sit with him, she did not like it. She thought that
he was not a good man and she did not want her son to remain in touch with him for any purpose.

Question.9. How does Mr Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?
Answer. Mr Lamb tries to remove the baseless fears of Derry by telling him that nothing in this world is so worthless that it
deserves to be considered as trash. Even weeds have their own value. He advises Derry to ignore people’s comments and think
of beautiful objects. He tells him to hear only those things that are worth hearing. It is attitude that matters.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question.10. What is the bond that unites the two—the old Mr Lamb and Derry, the small boy? How does the old man
inspire the small boy?
Answer. Derry, a small boy, had a side of his face burnt as acid had fallen over it. Thus, he grew up to be withdrawn arid
defiant.
The old Mr Lamb got one of his legs blown off in a war and had a tin leg in place of it. He lived alone, but unlike Derry, he did
not let his handicap rule his life.
The physical impairment somehow united the feelings of both of them. But their attitudes to their respective situations were
totally different. Mr Lamb came as an angel in the sad life of Derry. He told Derry that beauty is not limited to looks but it is in
how you feel from inside. He taught him to enjoy life to the fullest.
Mr Lamb’s encouraging words elevated Derry’s confidence. For the first time in his life, he wanted to live for himself. Thus,
he was inspired by the old man.

Question.11. The lesson, ‘On the Face of It’ is an apt depiction of the loneliness and sense of alienation experienced by
people on account of a disability. Explain.

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Answer. Mr Lamb and Derek both were victims of physical impairment. Mr Lamb had an artificial leg made of tin and Derek
had a scared face. Undoubtedly, both had suffered humiliations in life on account of their handicaps.
Derek, however, suffered not only from his handicap but also from low self-esteem, lack of confidence, desolation and
withdrawal. He felt that nobody wanted him or loved him. They feared looking at his ugly face.
Looking at Derek’s example, we feel that people with physical impairment need genuine concern. They can perform better
than average individuals who do not suffer from any disability, provided they get the right opportunities to prove themselves.

Question.12.Derry and Mr Lamb both are victims of physical impairment but their attitudes towards life are
completely different. Explain.
Answer. Derry, a fourteen-year-old boy, did not expect anything out of life. A pessimist, he had lost all self-regard and led an
isolated existence. He felt unwanted because he had a scared face. Mr Lamb, on the other hand, was full of life. Although he
lived alone and had a tin leg, he kept himself busy by tending to his garden, his bees and making toffee and jelly. He welcomed
everybody to his house and garden. He enjoyed sitting in the sun, reading books and gardening. Although kids mocked him by
calling him ‘Lamey Lamb/ he did not bother about it. He was an apostle of optimism, enthusiasm and hope.
Thus we see that there is a striking contrast between Mr Lamb and Derry.

Question.13.Do you think Derry’s chance meeting with Mr Lamb would prove meaningful to him? Answer giving valid
reasons.
Answer. When Derry met Mr Lamb, he was a fourteen-year-old boy who had lost all zest for life. He had lost all self-regard
and suffered from a terrible inferiority complex due to his scared face. He hated meeting people and remained withdrawn.
After meeting Mr Lamb, Derry was filled with enthusiasm for life. Mr Lamb’s words had a profound effect on him and he
changed drastically. He was not overtly conscious of his ugly face any longer. We could get a reflection of Derry’s
transformation in Scene two, when he reached his house after a brief encounter with Mr Lamb.
He told his mother, “You shouldn’t believe all you hear.” He categorically told her that he wanted to go back to Mr Lamb to
listen to bees singing and him talking.
In the end, he rushed to meet his mentor to keep his promise to the old man. Looking at these developments, one is bound to
conclude that Derry hopefully would not become secluded once again. Derek would certainly be confident and happy in the
future.

Question.14.How did Mr Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life?
Answer. Derry’s brief association with Mr Lamb changed him from a bitter, pessimistic and complex-ridden boy to a mature
and confident person. His attitude towards life underwent a transformation.
He got encouraged by Mr Lamb’s unending enthusiasm and unceasing zeal to live life. Thus, Mr Lamb’s unfailing optimism
helped transform Derek completely. Mr Lamb’s conversation with him about everything and everybody being essentially the
same, his notion of beauty being relative, his talk about pretty girls and love, his concept of the world and friendship and the
incident of the timid man, all fascinated and inspired Derek.
Gradually, Derek was able to shed his old self and rediscover life. He was able to experience the joy of little things of life like
rain drops falling pitter-patter on the roof. He even told his mother, “You shouldn’t believe all you hear.”
Thus, Derek’s brief association with Mr Lamb became a turning point in his life.

Short Questions (30-40 Words)

Question 1 : How does Mr Lamb react when Derry enters his garden?
Answer : Mr Lamb tries to remove Derr’s fears when he enters Mr Lamb’s garden. In fact, he welcomes Derry into the
garden. He tells Derry that his house is open to all.
Question 2 : What kind of garden does Mr Lamb have? Why does he like it?
Answer : Mr Lamb’s garden has flowers, fruit trees as well as a place for rearing bees. He likes the garden because it keeps
him busy by looking after the plants, breaking the crab apples from the trees and making jam out of them.
Question 3 : How did Derry’s handicap damage his life?
Answer : Derry was afraid of meeting people and lived a lonely life due to his handicap. He even hated himself and thought
negatively about himself.
Question 4 : Why does Derry stay away from people?

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Answer : Derry stayed away from people because they were scared of him. This was due to the fact that one side of Derry’s
face was burnt due to acid falling on it.
Question 5 : Why did Derry insist that he would go back to Mr Lamb?
Answer : Derry insisted that he would go back to Mr Lamb as he wanted to help Mr Lamb in getting the crab apples down
from the tree.
Question 6 : Why did Mr Lamb help Derry?
Answer : Mr Lamb and Derry were both victims of physical impairment. Mr Lamb helped Derry because he wanted him to
change his perspective towards life and enjoy every moment of it.
Question 7 : In what sense is the friendship between Mr Lamb and Derry fruitful?
Answer : The friendship that flourished between Mr Lamb and Derry was ineed fruitful. Mr Lamb’s unending enthusiasm and
zeal to live life despite all odds helped Derry change his outlook towards life.
Question 8 : If you were given a different ending to the story,’On the face of it’ how would you end it?
Answer : The ending of the story, ‘On the Face of It’ is very sad as Mr Lamb is probably dead. In my opinion Derry should
have saved Mr Lamb from falling by holding the ladder at the last moment.
Question 9 : As told by Mr Lamb, why did a man lock himself up in his room and what happened to him?
Answer : As per Mr Lamb, a man locked himself up in his room as he was scared of everything. He got killed after a few days
when a picture fell off the wall and hit his head.
Question 10 : How does Mr Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool?
Answer : Mr Lamb was a person who could survive and enjoy all circumstances and seasons. When it got cooler, Mr Lamb
kept himself busy by breaking the crab apples from the trees in his garden and making jelly from them.
Question 11 : What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man, Lamb?
Answer : Derry noticed that Mr Lamb kept his gate open and did not have curtains in his home as they shut things out. He also
said that he had a lot of friends but when Derry asked about their names he could not answer.
Question 12 : Who was Derry? What did he suffer from?
Answer : Derry was a fourteen year old boy. One side of his face was burnt up due to acid falling on it. Hence, he suffered
from a lot of complexes, hated himself and did not like to be around people as they were scared of him.
Question 13 : Why does Mr Lamb leave his gate always open?
Answer : Mr Lamb always left his gate open because he did not mind strangers entering his house or garden. As he lived
alone, he hoped someone would come inside whom he could talk to if kept his gate open.
Question 14 : What is the bond that unites the two – Mr Lamb, the old and Derry, the small boy? How does the old
man inspire the little boy?
Answer : It is physical disability in different forms that creates a bond which unites the old man and Derry. The old man
inspires Derry by asking him to ignore what people say about him and urging him to think positively.
Question 15 : What qualities of Mr Lamb attracted Derry to him?
Answer : Mr Lamb was a person full of life. Sadness or negativity found no place in his world. His undying optimism and
ever friendly attitude drew Derry towards him.
Question 16 : What did Derry’s mother think of Mr Lamb?
Answer : When Derry informed his mother of Mr Lamb and that he wanted to go to his place, she did not like it. She thought
that he was not a good man as she had heard bad things about him.
Question 17 : How does Mr Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?
Answer : Mr Lamb tries to remove the baseless fears of Derry by telling him that nothing in this world is worthless. He
advises Derry to ignore people’s comments and hear only those things that are worth hearing.
Long Questions (120 – 150 Words)

Question 1 : Both Derry and Lamb are victims of physical impairment, but much painful for them is the feeling of
loneliness. Comment.
Answer : Mr Lamb and Derry both were victims of physical impairment. Mr Lamb had an artificial leg made of tin and Derek
had a scarred face. Undoubtedly, both had suffered humiliations in life on account of their handicaps.
However, loneliness and a sense of alienation was also experienced by Derry and Mr Lamb on account of disability. The actual
pain and inconvenience caused by the disabilities is often much less than the sense of alienation felt by the disabled person.
Derry suffered from severe negative complexes because of his burnt face. He became a pessimistic loner as people got scared
of him and stayed away from him. So, he indulged in self-pity and was always suspicious of the intention of others. His anger
and frustration made him withdrawn.

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Mr Lamb, on the other hand, was a loner who craved for company and acceptance. Though outwardly he was an always jovial,
outgoing and optimistic, he was an extremely sensitive person. Derry and Mr Lamb’s physical disabilities caused pain and
suffering not only to their body but also to their minds and soul.

Question 2 : Derry sneaked into Mr Lamb’s garden and it became a turning point in his life. Comment.
Answer : Derry, a complex-stricken lad of fourteen, is a victim of inferiority complex which is borne out of misinterpretation
of himself and the world. He suffers from an acute sense of self-hatred and rejection due to his burnt face and this leads him to
total alienation. Mr Lamb too has a disability, a tin leg, but he never allows his handicap to interfere with the peace and
pleasures of his life.
Mr Lamb’s meeting with Derry brings a turning point in the latter’s life. He gives Derry confidence and persuades him to
develop a positive attitude towards life. His message to Derry is very clear that alienation and withdrawal is not the solution.
Derry believes in running away from people but Mr Lamb lives among people. Derry’s brief association with Mr Lamb proves
to be quite rewarding. Mr Lamb teaches him a new perspective of looking at life, people and things.

Derry decides never to get back to his old habit of seclusion. His burnt face will no longer interfere with his self-respect, poise
and confidence. He will gradually learn to find his place in the mainstream of life. Mr Lamb helps Derry rediscover himself
and gives a new meaning to his life. Now Derry wants to leave his handicap behind, forge ahead in life and live life of the
fullest.

Question 3 : What change took place in Derry when he met Mr Lamb?

Answer : Mr Lamb’s meeting with Derry, a complex-stricken lad with a burnt face, becomes a turning point in Derry’s life.
Mr Lamb teaches Derry to look positively at the world and love and admire everything he sees and hears. He encourages Derry
to make friends with people and not to be bothered by their comments. He reminds Derry that he can live a normal life as he
has two legs, two eyes, two ears and a brain like everyone else.
Mr Lamb warns Derry against hating people. He says that one who hates others gets burned himself in the fire of hatred. Derry
notices that despite his handicap, Mr Lamb, lives a normal independent life. His life and attitude attract Derry and he now
becomes determined to live and face the world boldly. He becomes more confident of himself and gets rid of his habit of ‘self-
pity’.

Question 4 : Derry said, ‘It (acid) ate me up’. How did this fact affect his attitude towards life?
Answer : Derry’s attitude towards life becomes totally bitter after the acid burns one side of his face. He suffers from a sense
of alienation, low self-esteem and self-rejection. Derry’s suffering is further aggravated by the feeling that he is unwanted and
no one loves him. His behaviour also results from people’s indifference, lack of concern and compassion for physically
impaired people. He feels their words of sympathy lack of genuineness and so he gets very hurt when they unwillingly remind
him of his impairment. Derry always remains very conscious of his handicap. He says that no one will ever love him because
he will continue to look ugly. He does not like Mr Lamb’s sermonizing as he feels that it or anything else cannot change the
ugliness of his face. Thus, Derry feels a terrible sense of frustration and loneliness due to his severely burnt face.
Question 5 : What is the bond that unites the two – the old Mr Lamb and Derry, the small boy?How does the old man
inspire the boy?
Answer : The bond that unites Mr Lamb and Derry is the loneliness and alienation they experience on account of their
physical disabilities .Mr Lamb lost a leg in the war and has a tin leg while Derry has an acid burn on one cheek which given
him an ugly appearance. The actual pain and inconvenience caused by a disability is often much less than the sense of
estrangement felt by a disabled person. But, unlike Derry, Mr Lamb always maintains a positive attitude towards life and is a
downright extrovert.
Mr Lamb inspires Derry by tellling him not to focus on the shortcomings of life and his handicap and instead try to enjoy the
blessings of life. He tells him to be thankful to God for giving him two arms, two legs, two eyes and ears, a tongue and a brain
and advises him to be friendly with everyone around him. Mr Lamb’s words of wisdom inspire Derry and towards the end of
the story we see him adapting the attitude and path that have been shown by him. Derry’s long conversation with Mr Lamb
helps him overcome his inferiority complex and low self-esteem.

Question 6 : Derry and Mr Lamb both are victims of physical impairment but their attitudes towards life are
completely different. Explain.

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Answer : Derry, a fourteen year old boy, did not expect anything out of life. A pessimist, he had lost all self-regard and led an
isolated existence. He felt unwanted because he had a scarred face.
Mr Lamb, on the other hand, was full of life. Although he lived alone and had a tin leg, he kept himself busy by tending to his
garden, his bees and making toffee and jelly. He welcomed everybody to his house and garden. He enjoyed sitting in the sun,
reading books and gardening. Although kids mocked him by calling him ‘Lamey Lamb,’ he did not bother about it. He was an
apostle of optimism, enthusiasm and hope.

Thus we see that there is a striking contrast between Mr Lamb and Derry.

Question 7 : Do you think Derry’s chance meeting with Mr Lamb would prove meaningful to him? Answer giving valid
reasons.
Answer : When Derry met Mr Lamb, he was a fourteen year old boy who had lost all zest of life. He had lost all self-regard
and suffered from a terrible inferiority complex due to his scarred face. He hated meeting people and reamined withdrawn.
After meeting Mr Lamb, Derry was filled with enthusiasm for life. Mr Lamb’s words had a profound effect on him and he
changed drastically. He was not overtly conscious of his ugly face any longer. We could get a reflection of Derry’s
transformation in Scene two, when he reached his house after a brief encounter with Mr Lamb.

He told his mother, “You shouldn’t believe all you hear.” He categorically told her that he wanted to go back to Mr Lamb to
listen to bees signing and him talking.

In the end, he rushed to meet his mentor to keep his promise to the old man. Looking at these developments, one is bound to
conclude that Derry hopefully would not become secluded once again. He would certainly be confident and happy in the
future.

Value Based Questions

Question 1 : Both Derry and Lamb are physically impaired and lonely. It is the responsibility of the society to understand and
support people with infirmities so that they do not suffer from a sense of alienation. As a responsible citizen, write in about 100
words what would you do to bring about a change in the lives of such people.

Answer : As a responsible citizen it is my responsibility towards society to understand and support people with infirmities. I
will always try to be supportive and considerate towards them. I will treat them as equals and encourage them to take part in all
activities. It will be my endeavour to ensure that they do not suffer from a sense of alienation and I will also advocate inclusive
education for them. Campaigning for their social acceptance, I will raise hope and encouragement for their empowerment.

Question 2 : The actual or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment is often much less than the sense of alienation felt
by the person with disabilities. What is the kind of behaviour that the person expects from others?

Answer : A person with any physical impairment can live life with respect and honour, if he is not ridiculed and punished with
heartless pity. He expects empathy rather than sympathy.

If everyone looks down on him with a condescending approach, he may never be able to come out of his sorrow, and
consequently, will go back into his own secluded world. He is already undergoing tremendous mental and emotional pressure.
So, he expects others to be understanding, rather than remind him of his disability.

In the play, both Derry and Mr Lamb are in a similar situation. Mr Lamb, as an adult, is able to cope with such problems, but
Derry, being a child, is not able to untangle this web alone.

He develops a strong liking for this old man because he spoke the words, a person with such a problem would want to hear.

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 MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD
Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

Q.1. Why was Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples?
Answer. Zitkala-Sa was in tears on the first day in the land of apples because she was forced to part with her heavy, long hair.
To avoid it, she even hid herself under the bed but she was soon found out and tied fast to her chair. She cried in protest but it
all went in vain and she felt the blades of the scissors against her neck and heard them gnaw off her thick braids.
Q.2. What comic incident did Bama narrate to her brother? Why was he not amused?
Answer. While walking back home from school, Bama saw an elder of her street walking towards the landlord, carrying a
food packed by its strings without touching it. This made her shriek with laughter. When she narrated the incident to her
brother, he was not amused and told her that people of their caste were considered untouchables and that is why the elder
carried the packet by its string.

Q.3. Which words of her brother made a deep impression on Bama?

Answer. Bama’s brother had told her that because they were born in a particular caste, they were stripped off all honour and
dignity. For them, the only way to get their due respect was to make progress by studying hard. Bama took her brother’s words
very seriously and excelled in academics to standfirst in her class.

Q.4. What is common between Zitkala-Sa and Bama?

Answer. Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama had experienced discrimination in their childhood. While Zitkala-Sa had been a victim of
oppression at the hands of the whites in her boarding school, Bama felt and experienced untouchability early in life for being
born a ‘dalit’,

Q.5. What sort of shows or entertainment attracted Bama?

or
Which activities of the people would Bama watch keenly in the bazaar?
or
Which actions of the people would Bama watch keenly in the bazaar?
Answer. The bazaar on the way home was always buzzing with activities. The snake charmer, street plays, puppet shows and
stunt performances were a few interesting things going on there.
Bama used to love all these things.

Q.6. What were the articles in the stalls and shops that fascinated Bama on her way back from school?
Answer. On her way back from school, Bama witnessed a variety of interesting things which fascinated her. She saw the dried
fish stall, the sweet stall and the stall selling fried snacks. Then there were wild lemurs, needles, clay beads and instruments for
cleaning out the ears on sale. She loved to watch the waiters cool the coffee and the chopping up of onions.

Q.7. What did Zitkala-Sa feel when her long hair was cut?
Answer. When her long hair was cut, Zitkala-Sa felt anguished and pained. She thought that she was a wooden puppet who
had been tossed about in the air. She was really distressed by the fact that nobody came to comfort her like her mother did. She
missed her mother very much and felt like an animal driven by a herder.

Q.8. What was the advice that Annan gave to Bama? Did she follow it?
Answer. Annan told Bama that because they were born in a particular community, they were stripped of all honour, dignity or
respect. The only way to get all this back was to study hard and make progress. Annan told Bama that education was the key to
acceptance by the society so she must learn her lessons really well. Yes, Bama paid heed to his advice and stood first in her
class.
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Q.9. “I felt like sinking to the floor,” says Zitkala-Sa. When did she feel so and why?
Answer. When Zitkala-Sa’s shawl was removed from her shoulders, she felt very embarrassed due to her c.linging dress. That
was when she felt like sinking to the floor. She considered herself as one of the little animals driven by a herder.

Q.10.What did Judewin tell Zitkala-Sa? How did she react to it?
Answer. The hostel authorities were going to cut the long hair of girls. Wearing short hair was against Zitkala-Sa’s culture.
Judewin told her that they would have to submit, for they could not fight the strong authorities. However, Zitkala-Sa disagreed
and decided to put up a fight and resist it.
Q.11.What does Zitkala-Sa remember about the first day in the land of apples?
Answer. The first day in the land of apples was a ‘bitter-cold one’ firstly because the snow still covered the ground and the
trees were bare. Secondly, dry atmosphere of the school was not at all cordial. It was dictatorial and regimental. The author did
not understand the language spoken there or the culture followed.
She detested the way in which even the day-to-day activities like eating and dressing up were done ‘by formula’. Even the
teachers seemed to be ruthless.

Q.12.Why was Zitkala-Sa so averse to having her hair cut?

Answer. Zitkala-Sa did not wish to get her hair cut because her mother’s words were deeply embedded in her mind. Her
mother had told her that only the hair of prisoners of war was shingled by captors. In their culture, short hair was worn by
mourners and shingled hair by cowards.

Q13.Why did the landlord’s man ask Bama’s brother on which street he lived? What was the significance?
Answer. One day, when Annan was returning home from the library, one of the landlord’s men approached him and asked him
his name. Thereafter the man asked him in which street he lived. He specifically asked this question because it was aimed at
finding out his caste. Annan narrated this incident to Bama to let her know the indignity and humiliation their community had
to suffer.
Q.14.Why was Zitkala-Sa terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short?
Answer. Zitkala-Sa is an American Indian. In her culture, short hair is worn by mourners. As it is, she was disturbed and
embarrassed by the rooms of the school. She got all the more terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short.

Q.15.Why did Bama take thirty minutes walking home from school when she could have
covered the distance in ten minutes?
Answer. On her way back from school, Bama got attracted by the little trivialities on the street. The buzzing market, the snake
charmers, the lemurs in cages etc., all caught her attention. Thus, it took Bama thirty minutes to return from school, when she
could have covered this distance in ten minutes.

Q.16.When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people of her community?
Answer. Bama was a Tamil Indian belonging to the dalit community. She first came to know about the social discrimination
faced by the people of her community when she was a student of class three. She saw, on her way back from school, an elderly
man carrying a small packet containing some eatables by a string without touching it.
She found it very funny but was shocked to know from her brother that since that bag was for the landlord, it was not to be
touched by the dalit who was carrying it. Thus it was carried in such a manner.
Q.17.How did Zitkala-Sa try to prevent the shingling of her hair?
Answer. To escape from her hair being cut, Zitkala-Sa crept upstairs unnoticed. She entered a large room and crawled under
the bed in the dark. However, she was ultimately found, was dragged out, carried downstairs and tied to a chair. Finally,
despite her fierce resistance, her long braid was chopped off.

Q.18.Describe the experience Bama had on her way back home which made her feel sad.
Answer. One day, when Bama was on her way back home, she saw that an elder of ‘her street’ was carrying a small packet of
vadai or green banana bhajji. He was holding the packet by its string without touching it. This was because he was an
untouchable and his touch would have rendered it unfit for the consumption of the upper caste landlord.

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This experience made her feel sad because the incident portrayed that from the beginning, our society has been divided on
rigid caste lines. The lower castes have suffered untold miseries and humiliations by the upper caste people.

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Q.19.What activities did Bama witness on her way back from school?
Answer. Bama’s home was a ten-minute walking distance from her school but it usually -took her from half an hour to an hour
to reach. On her way back, many activities and sights caught her attention.
Bama got attracted to many novelties and oddities on the street like the performing monkey, the snake charmer’s snake, the
wild lemur in a cage, the cyclist and spinning wheels, the Maariyaata temple and its huge bell, etc. She also noticed the pongal
offerings being cooked in front of the temple. There was a dried fish stall near the statue of Gandhiji. There was a sweet stall
and a stall selling fried snacks.
Puppet shows, street plays, public meetings of political parties were other entertaining activities. She would see the waiter’s
pouring coffee and vendors chopping onions. She admired the various fruits that flooded the market according to the seasons.

Q.20.What are the similarities in the lives of Bama and Zitkala-Sa though they belong to
different cultures?
Answer. Bama and Zitkala-Sa belong to different cultures. But both have experienced oppression and discrimination in their
childhood.
Bama was born a ‘dalit’ and was upset to see the humiliations borne by the members of her community. They were considered
untouchables, were made to live apart, run errands and bow humbly to people of the upper castes.
On the other hand, Zitkala-Sa was a victim of severe prejudice that prevailed against the native Americans. In the boarding
school, her blanket was forcibly taken off her shoulders. At the same time, the forced cutting of her long hair only made her
feel like a defeated warrior, for in her culture, short hair was only worn by mourners.
Thus, both Bama and Zitkala-Sa have suffered as young members of marginalised communities.

Q.21.What oppression and discrimination did Zitkala-Sa and Bama experience during their childhood? How did they
respond to their respective situations?
Answer. Zitkala-Sa was a native American who was forcibly sent to a Christian school. She resisted the strict regimentation of
the school. She hated cutting of her hair because in her culture short hair is worn by mourners. When her friend Judewin told
her that they would have to give in, she disagreed and decided to fight against it.
Bama, on the other hand, belonged to a marginalised, untouchable community. She was upset to know the discriminatory
treatment meted out to the members of her community. She was infuriated at this inhuman practice of casteism.
Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama refused to accept any type of oppression, exploitation or victimisation. Zitkala-Sa throughout her
career as a writer criticised dogma and dedicated her entire life to fight against tryanny and oppression. Bama became a Tamil
dalit writer and ushered a newness and freshness in her writings. Both of them tried to shed light on the atrocities committed
by the oppressors on the hitherto marginalised communities.

Question 1 : At the dining table why did Zitkala-Sa begin to cry when others started eating?
Answer : Zitkala-Sa was disturbed due to the constant noises and murmuring of people. She was also sad for having lost her
freedom and moreover she was being watched by a pale-faced lady when she was at the dining table. Due to all these things,
she started crying.
Question 2 : According to Zitkala-Sa what does ‘eating by formula’ mean?
Answer : According to Zitkala-Sa, ‘eating by formula’ meant following an eating-decorum in the dining room. At the sound of
the first bell the pupils drew a chair from under the table. All were seated when the second bell was sounded and when the
third bell was tapped everyone started eating with forks and knives.
Question 3 : How did Zitkala-Sa’s first day in the land of apples begin?
Answer : The first day in the land of apples was a bitter-cold one. Secondly, the atmosphere of the school was dictatorial and
regimental, which was detested by Zitkala-Sa.
Question 4 : Why did Bama reach home after school?
Answer : On her way back from school, Bama got attracted by the little trivialities on the street. The buzzing market, the
snake charmers, the lemurs in cages etc, all caught her attention. Thus, it took Bama thirty minutes to return home from school.
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Question 5 : Why was Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples?
Answer : Zitkala-Sa was in tears on the first day in the land of apples because she did not like the regiment like treatment in
her school and was forced to part with her heavy, long hair. She also missed her mother badly.
Question 6 : What comic incident did Bama narrate to her brother? Why was he not amused?
Answer : Bama narrated the incident of seeing an elder of her street walking towards a landlord, carrying a food packed by its
strings without touching it to her brother. Bama’s brother was not amused as he knew that the elder’s behaviour was due to
him being an untouchable.
Question 7 : Which words of her brother made a deep impression on Bama?
Answer : Bama’s brother told her that as they were untouchable, the only way they can earn respect was by making progress
by studying hard. These words made a deep impression on her.
Question 8 : What is common between Zitkala-Sa and Bama?
Answer : Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama had experienced discrimination in their childhood. While Zitkala-Sa had been a victim of
oppression at the hands of the whites in her boarding school, Bama felt and experienced untouchability early in life for being
born in an untouchable family.
Question 9 : Why did Zitkal-Sa resist the shingling of her hair?
Answer : Zitkala-Sa did not wish to get her hair cut because her mother’s words were deeply embedded in her mind. Her
mother had told her that only the hair of prisoners of was shingled by capturers and short hair was worn by mourners.
Question 10 : What sort of shows or entertainment attracted Bama?
Answer : The snake charmer, the performing monkey, the pedalling cyclist, street plays, puppet shows and stunt performances
were a few interesting things that were watched by Bama in the bazaar as she got attracted by them.
Question 11 : What were the articles in the stalls and shops that fascinated Bama on her way back from school?
Answer : On her way back from school, Bama witnessed a variety of interesting things which fascinated her such as the dried
fish stall, the sweet stall and the stall selling fried snacks. The other things that fascinated her were needles, clay beads and
instruments for cleaning out the ears.
Question 12 : How could Bama rise above the indignities?
Answer : Bama could rise above the indignities by studying hard and learning as much as she can. This way she would make
new friends and earn the respect of the people of upper class in her classroom.
Question 13 : How long would it take Bama to walk home from her school?
Answer : It would take around 30 minutes to an hour for Bama to walk home from her school as on the way to home from her
school Bama would spend time watching the various shows going on the streets, the shops and the various items kept there for
sale.
Question 14 : What did Zitkala-Sa feel when her long hair was cut?
Answer : When her long hair was cut , Zitkala-Sa felt anguished and pained and felt like an animal driven by a herder. She
thought that she was a wooden puppet who had been tossed about in the air. She also cried and missed her mother very much
and felt like an animal driven by a herder.
Question 15 : What was the advice that Annan give to Bama? Did she follow it?
Answer : Annan told Bama that as they were untouchables, the only way for them to earn respect was by studying hard. Yes,
Bama paid heed to his advice by studying hard and standing first in her class.
Question 16 : “I felt like sinking to the floor,” says Zitkala-Sa. When did she feel so and why?
Answer : When Zitkala-Sa’s shawl was removed from her shoulders, she felt very embarrassed due to her clinging dress. That
was when she felt like sinking to the floor.
Question 17 : What did Judewin tell Zitkala-Sa? How did she react to it?
Answer : Judewin told Zitkala-Sa that the hostel authorities were going to cut the long hair of girls. She also told her that they
would have to submit, for they could not fight the strong authorities. However, Zitkala-Sa disagreed and decided to put up a
fight and resist it.
Question 18 : Why did the landlord’s man ask Bama’s brother in which street he lived? What was the significance?
Answer : The landlord’s man asked Bama’s brother in which street he lived so that they could know about his caste. The
significance was that people belonging to different castes lived in different streets.
Question 19 : Why was Zitkala-Sa terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short?
Answer : Zitkala-Sa is an American Indian. In her culture, short hair is worn by mourners and shingled hair by cowards. So,
she got terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short.
Question 20 : When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people of her community?
Answer : Bama first came to know about the social discrimination faced by the people of her community when she was a
student of class three and saw, on her way back from school, an elderly man carrying a small packet containing some eatables

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by a string without touching it.
Question 21 : How did Zitkala-Sa try to prevent the shingling of her hair?
Answer : To escape the hair-cut, Zitkala-Sa crept upstairs unnoticed. She entered a large room and crawled under the bed in
the dark. She stayed there for some time but was eventually caught.
Question 22 : Describe the experience Bama had on her way back home which made her feel sad.
Answer : Bama got sad when one day on her way back home, she was an elder of her street carrying a small packet of eatables
by holding a string.
She did not understand as how come a packet that has been wrapped twice become polluted if someone put his hand on it.

Long Questions (120 – 150 Words)

Question 1 : What were Zitkala-Sa’s experiences on her first day in the land of apples?
Answer : The first day in the land of apples was bitterly cold and as the bell rang for breakfast, there was an annoying clatter
of shoes which Zitkala-Sa no peace. Though her spirit tore itself in struggling for its freedom, it was of no use. She was placed
in a line with the Indian girls and marched into the dining room. All the girls were rather immodestly dressed in tightly fitting
clothes. As Zitkala-Sa sat down she observed that she was being keenly watched by a strange pace faced woman. Later her
friend Judewin gave her a terrible warning that this pale faced woman was talking about cutting their long, heavy hair. Zitkala-
Sa crept into a room and crawled under a bed and huddled herself in the dark corner so that she could avoid her hair being cut.
But women and girls entered the room and dragged her out. She resisted by kicking and scratching wildly. Inspite of her
resistance she was carried downstairs, tied fast in a chair and her long hair was shingled.
Question 2 : How did the scene she saw in the market place change Bama’s life?
Answer : Bama usually reached home late from school as she walked alone leisurely watching and enjoying the sights in the
bazaar. One day on her way back, she saw the harvest being threshed. The landlord stood watching the work being done. It was
then that Bama saw one of the elders coming down the street holding a packet by a string. The packet contained vadais for the
landlord. At first Bama thought that the elder man was being funny. But later her brother told her that the elder man was of low
caste so he was not allowed to touch the vadais brought for the landlord. This scene infuriated Bama and brought about a
change in her life wherein she decided to study well, make a position for herself and rebel against caste inequalities.
Question 3 : What activities did Bama witness on her way back from school?
Answer : Bama’s home was a ten-minutes walking distance from her school but it usually took her from half an hour to an
hour to reach home. On her way back, many activities and sights caught her attention. Bama got attracted to many novelties
and oddities on the street like the performing monkey, the snake charmer’s snake, the wild lemur in a cage, the pedalling
cyclist, the Maariyaata temple and its huge bell, etc. She also noticed the pongal offerings being cooked in front of the temple.
There was a dried fish stall near the statue of Gandhiji and a sweet stall and a stall selling fried snacks.
Puppet shows, street plays, public meetings of political parties were other entertaining activities. She would see the waiter’s
pouring coffee and vendors chopping onions. She also admired the various seasonal fruits that flooded the market.
Question 4 : Describe how Zitkala-Sa tried in vain to save her hair from being cut. Why did she want to save her hair?
Answer : Zitkala-Sa’s friend Judewin warned her that her hair was going to be cut. Judewin knew a few English words and
had overheard the pale face woman talking about cutting the native India girl’s long hair. This news shocked Zitkala. Her
friend told her to accept her fate but she was not ready to submit and decided to fight against this oppression. She disappeared
unnoticed and went into a room where she crawled and hid under a bed, cuddling herself in a dark corner. But she was caught
and dragged out. She then resisted by kicking and scratching wildly as she was carried down and tied fast to a chair. As they
gnawed at her long hair, she kept shaking her head. No one came to her aid. Zitkala was desperate to save her hair because
among her people short hair was kept by mourners and shingled hair was a sign of cowardice. So she did not want her long
hair to be cut.
Question 5 : What are the similarities in the lives of Bama and Zitkala-Sa though they belong to different cultures?
Answer : Bama and Zitkala-Sa belonged to different cultures. But both had experienced oppression and discrimination in their
childhood.
Bama was born in a lower-class family and was upset to see the humiliations suffered by the members of her community.
They were considered untouchables, were made to live apart, run errands and bow humbly to people of the upper castes.
On the other hand, Zitkala-Sa was a victim of severe prejudice that prevailed against the native Americans. In the boarding
school, her blanket was forcibly taken off her shoulders. At the same time, the forced cutting of her long hair only made her
feel like a defeated warrior, for in her culture, short hair was only worn by mourners.

Thus, both Bama and Zatkala-Sa have suffered as young marginalised communities.
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Question 6 : What oppression and discrimination did Zitkala-Sa and Bama experience during their childhood? How
did they respond to their respective situations?
Answer : Zitkala-Sa was a native American who was forcibly sent to a Christian school . She resisted the strict regimentation
in the school. She hated cutting of her hair because in her culture short hair was worn by mourners. When her friend Judewin
told her that they would have to give in, she disagreed and decided to fight against it.
Bama, on the other hand, belonged to a marginalized, untouchable community. She was upset to know the discriminatory
treatment given to the members of her community. She was infuriated at this inhuman practice of casteism. In order to gain
respect from the upper caste people she studied hard and stood first in her class. Due to this many students from the upper class
became her friends.

Value Based Questions

Question 1 : In India, the so-called lower castes have been treated cruelly for a long time. Who advised Bama to fight
against this prejudice, when and how?
Answer : Bama’s brother Annan told her about this class discrimination when she narrated him an incident in which a man
was carrying a small packet by holding it by a string. He went to the landlord, bowed low and extended the packet towards
him. Bama found this situation funny but her brother told her that there was nothing funny when the man carried packet by the
string for his landlord. The upper-class people believed that the low caste people should not touch them even though they were
supposed to do whatever they (the upper caste people) wanted them to do for them.
Annan advised Bama to study with care and learn all that she could. She should stay ahead of others in her lessons so that they
would come to her by themselves. Then only could they throw away all those indignities.

Question 2 : Untouchability is not only a crime, it is inhuman too. Why and how did Bama decide to fight against it?
Answer : Untouchability is not only a crime, it is inhuman too. This fact was brought in front of Bama by her brother Annan
when she narrated the incident of a man bringing vadas for his landlord by holding the vada packet by a string.
Bama belonged to a community which is considered untouchable and low caste. High caste people regarded them as very low
people whose touch will pollute them. Annan told her that the only way to get back honour and dignity was to study hard and
progress; then only could they throw off all the indignities.
Bama decided to fight against such inhuman treatment. She studied hard and established her own identity. She could also make
many friends because of her education. Thus, she was able to regain her dignity and honour.

Question 3 : The two accounts that you read in the story are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of
theme found in both of them?
Answer : Oppression and exploitation of the indigenous people, the women and the weak is the harsh reality of all countries
and civilisations throughout the world. In a similar vein, the struggle of these marginalised people is something we call can
indentify with. This is the thread of commonality running between the accounts of Zitkala-Sa and Bama.
The only difference between them is the time gap and their vastly different cultures. Zitkala-Sa is a native American who
belongs to the late 19th century, whereas Bama is a prominent Dalit belonging to the contemporary era. Zitkala-Sa belong to a
marginalised community which was exploited to the hilt. Her identity was questioned throughout and finally taken away from
her. Bama on the other hand, is a victim of untouchability, casteism and strong discrimination.
Question 4 : It may take a long time for oppression to be resisted, but the seeds of rebellion are sowed very early in life.
Do you agree that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by children?
Answer : Zitkala-Sa and Bama, both were school-going children when they witnessed rough treatment being given to them or
their community.

Both episodes prove that injustice in any form does not escape notice even by children. Zitkala-Sa revolts and resists against
the school authorities with all her might because she does not want her hair to be cut short like that of a mourner. Bama too
realises the oppression that her community faces. She puts up a fight by bringing laurels to her community through her school
achievements. Thus, she proves that she is superior to the so-called upper caste. So, it is rightly proved that children know of
injustice and react to them in their own unique ways.

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 Poetic devices in poems

My Mother at Sixty-six (poetic devices/figures of speech)

By Kamala Das

Simile – a) her face ashen like that of a corpse

b) As a late winter’s moon

Personification - Trees sprinting

Metaphor – merry children spilling out of their homes

Repetition- smile and smile and smile…

Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda (poetic devices/figures of speech)

The poet has used symbols and comparisons to explain how we can end conflicts, wars and corrosive activities that are leading
to the death of our civilization. He advocates keeping quiet and still for a while to introspect and understand ourselves and our
relationship with our brothers and nature to build a peaceful and harmonious world order.

1. ‘Count to twelve’ – symbolizes a measure of time. The clock has twelve markings on it, the year has twelve months and the
day has twelve hours

2. Let’s-repetition to create a bond with the reader and stress his point.

3. ‘Fishermen in the cold sea…hurt hands’-symbolic image showing how man is ruthlessly destroying nature and harming
other species in cold blood for his selfish need and greed. The ‘hurt hands’ – the sore hands of the salt gatherer would make
him realize how he is harming himself by his mindless corrosive activities.

4. ‘…put on clean clothes’- metaphor. The poet says that quiet introspection will make us comprehend the destructive nature
of wars. Man would shed his blood soiled clothes and don on clean clothes i.e. he would cleanse his soul, heart and mind,
purging it of all anger and hatred.

5. Brothers – symbol of mankind

6. In the shade- metaphor- just as shade protects us from the harsh sun, we will protect and shelter each other as brothers,
thus live in peace and harmony.

7. no truck - euphemism

8. Earth can teach us as when everything… symbol, just as earth, the greatest creator, in its sleeping mode appears to be
dead on surface but is actually dormant and carefully preserving the seeds of life, human beings too need to keep still and quiet
to rejuvenate and awaken the life forces within and be productive.

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 A Thing of beauty-John Keats (poetic devices/figures of speech)

Metaphor: bower quiet; sweet dreams; wreathing a flowery band; pall; endless fountain of immortal drink

Alliteration: noble natures; cooling covert; band to bind

Imagery: flowery bands, shady boon, daffodils in green world, clear rills, cooling covert, grandeur of dooms, endless fountain
of eternal drink

Symbol: simple sheep – refers to mankind as Christ is the shepherd

Transferred epithet: gloomy days; unhealthy and o’er darkened ways

A Roadside Stand by Robert Frost (poetic devices/figures of speech)

The use of personal pronoun shows poet’s involvement and draws reader’s concern.

‘didn’t it see’ -The use of ‘it’ for people indicates they are inhuman

Transferred epithet –1) polished traffic (the traffic is not polished, people are polished)

2)Selfish cars

Metaphor/ figurative speech-1) the flower of cities from sinking and withering faint;

2) Swarm over their lives

3) Teaching them to sleep they sleep all day

Oxymoron and Alliteration - Greedy good doers; beneficent beasts of prey

Personification:

· A roadside stand that too pathetically pled (also alliteration)

· Sadness that lurks near the open window there/ that waits all day

· Voice of country

Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger (poetic devices/figures of speech)

By Adrienne Rich

Alliteration-Finger’s fluttering; prancing proud; chivalric certainty; weight of wedding band

Visual imagery- Bright topaz denizens; world of green

Irony: It is ironical that Aunt Jennifer’s creations- the tigers will continue to pace and prance freely, while Aunt herself will
remain terrified even after death, ringed by the ordeals she was controlled by in her married life.

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Symbols:

Wedding band- symbol of oppression in an unhappy marriage. Its weight refers to the burden of gender expectations. Ringed
means encircled or trapped, losing individuality and freedom.

Aunt Jennifer- a typical victim of male oppression in an unhappy marriage, who suffers loss of individuality, dignity and
personal freedom silently. She becomes dependent, fearful and frail.

Tigers- symbolize untamed free spirit. Here they stand in contrast to their creator’s personality. The use of colours implies that
Aunt Jennifer's tigers and their land are more vital and enjoy a sense of freedom far greater than her. They pace and prance
freely, proudly, fearless, confident and majestic, fearless of men

Yellow (bright topaz) connotes the sun and fierce energy; green reminds one of spring and vitality.

Embroidery- symbol of creative expression. The artwork expresses the Aunt’s suppressed desires and becomes her escape
from the oppressive reality of her life.

Aunt (last stanza) – as opposed to Aunt Jennifer. It shows that she has lost her identity completely, thus lost even her name.

Metaphor:

Ringed with ordeals: even death would not free her as the wedding band, a symbol of oppression, would yet be on her finger.

Terrified fingers: transferred epithet

‘Pace’ and ‘prance’ are action words. The rhyme mimics the movement of the tigers.

THE INTERVIEW (Extra questions)

Question 1.
Why did Umberto Eco prefer himself to be called an academician than a novelist?
Answer:
Despite achieving fame as a novelist, Eco preferred to associate himself with the academic community because his non-
fictional work occupied him for the first fifty years of his life. He wrote his first novel at the age of around fifty. He identified
himself more with the academic community and resorts to writing fiction only when he was not pursuing some scholarly work.

Question 2.
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Or
What are the views of writers like V.S. Naipaul and Lewis Carroll on interviews?
Answer:
Celebrities like V.S. Naipaul, Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll and H.G. Wells have expressed their strong despise for
interviews. They consider interviews immoral -‘an assault’ because they feel interviews leave a rather disparaging effect on
their personalities and are an encroachment on their privacy.

Question 3.
What was unique and distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
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Or
What do you learn about Umberto Eco’s distinctive style in his doctoral dissertation?
Answer:
Umberto Eco’s academic writing style is personal, informal and playful. He fills his research stories with all the trials and
errors so that even his research work has the uniqueness. of creative writing and reading. It is not only informative but also
interesting.

Question 4.
State the reason for the huge success of the novel, “The Name of the Rose”.
Answer:
There is no one reason for the huge success of the novel “The Name of the Rose’. Umberto Eco himself calls its success a
mystery. It is possible that this detective story that delved into metaphysics, theology and medieval history, interested the
readers because the time in which it was written was most appropriate, neither a decade earlier nor a decade later.

Question 5.
“The Name of the Rose” deals with medieval history. Was it responsible for the novel’s success?
Answer:
The success of the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ did not depend on merely one factor. Many other novels dealt with medieval
history but did not achieve much success. Its success is more attributed to the timing of its publication, its narrative style and
detective yarn and also the fact that it delves into metaphysics and theology along with medieval history.

Question 6.
What did the publisher think of ‘The Name of the Rose’?
Answer:
The American publisher of ‘The Name of the Rose’ loved and liked the novel but did not expect to sell more than 3,000
copies. No one goes to a cathedral or studies Latin in America so it was really difficult to sell such a novel there. But the
publisher was proved wrong as two to three million copies of the novel were sold in America.

Question 7.
What drawbacks of interviews have been pointed out by Lewis Carrol?
Answer:
Lewis Carrol considers interviews as an ‘unwarranted intrusion’ that is immoral and an offence against his person. He shunned
interviews for fear of being projected as larger than life. His vehement refusal for interviews enabled him to keep his fans as
well as interviews at an arm’s length.

Question 8.
Why do most celebrity writers hate to be interviewed?
Answer:
Most of the celebrity writers shun interviews as they feel that interviews leave a disparaging effect on their personalities. They
consider them as an encroachment on their privacy. Writers like V.S. Naipaul feel they are being wounded by interviews and
thus losing a part of themselves.

Question 9.
How did Lewis Carroll react to the interviews?
Or
What was Lewis Carroll’s attitude towards being interviewed?
Answer:
Lewis Carrol shunned interviews for the fear of being projected as larger than life. He vehemently refused to give interviews
and kept his fans, acquaintances and interviewers at an arm’s length. This gives him a great sense of satisfaction.

2. Answer each of the following questions in about 125-150 words.

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Question 10.
What made the American publisher think that the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ won’t sell in America? What actually
happened? What was the secret of its success?
Or
What is the reason for the huge success of the novel “The Name of the Rose” according to Umberto Eco? (2002 Delhi)
Answer:
The American publisher believed that people like trash whereas ‘The Name of the Rose’ delved into metaphysics, theology
and medieval history and people do not like these difficult reading experiences. Through his novel, which sold between 10 to
15 million copies, Umberto Eco reached only a small percentage of readers. But, according to him, it is those kinds of readers
who do not want easy experiences, or at least, do not always want this. Umberto Eco cannot categorically state the reason for
the huge success of the novel, ‘The Name of the Rose’. He himself refers to its success as a mystery. He feels this detective
story that delved into metaphysics, theology and medieval history interested the readers as it was written at the most
appropriate time. Had it been written a decade earlier or later, it would not have been so successful. The way the book stormed
the literary world, once it was out, surprised everyone. Even though it contained somewhat heavy reading, the book attracted a
mass audience and Eco became famous as a novelist, rather than an academic scholar the world over.

Question 11.
What do you think about Umberto Eco? Does he like being interviewed? Give reasons in support of your answer from the text
‘The Interview’.
Answer:
Unlike various other celebrities who express a strong dislike for interviews and consider it an encroachment upon their
privacy, Umberto Eco seems to kind of enjoy giving interviews considering the spirited manner in which he answers the
questions put forth to him by the interviewer, Mukund Padmanabhan. Eco readily and truthfully answers all the questions in
the most humble and sincere manner, delving into details, thus revealing the fact that he actually does not mind sharing his
experiences with others. At no point does he display any kind of haste to wind up the interview. In fact, he explicitly answers
all the questions that Padmanabhan asks him giving the interviewer a feeling of warmth and being welcome.

Question 12.
Why did Umberto Eco start writing novels and when? What does Eco say about the huge success of his novel, ‘The Name of
the Rose’ in spite of it being a difficult and very serious novel?
Answer:
Umberto Eco was essentially an academician who pursued his scholarly pursuits through academic writings. He wrote about
forty nonfictions and as he himself says, ‘he became a novelist by accident’. That was the reason he started writing novels at
the age of almost fifty. Eco considers himself ‘a university professor who writes novels (only) on Sundays’. He is not even
very sure about any one single reason for the huge success of his novel ‘The Name of the Rose’. He feels perhaps the timing of
the novel’s publication was the most important factor of its success. The fact that at one level it appears to be a detective yarn
but also delves into metaphysics, theology and medieval history also adds to its appeal. Though the novel is quite a heavy
reading experience, it attracted a mass audience and made Eco popular more as a novelist rather than an academic scholar.

Question 13.
What impression do you form about Umberto Eco as a scholar and writer on the basis of ‘The Interview’?
Or
What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Answer:
Umberto Eco’s style is narrative, written in the manner of a story. This is in contrast to a regular academic style which is
invariably depersonalized, dry and boring. His scholarly work has a certain playful and personal quality to it. He pursued his
philosophical interests through his academic work and novels. He also wrote books for children on non-violence and peace.

Umberto Eco, a professor at the University of Bologna, in Italy, is an authority on Semeiotics, the study of signs. He is also a
well-known novelist. His scholarly works include academic texts, essays, children’s’ books and newspaper articles. He pursues
his philosophical interests through his academic writings and novels. In spite of having reached the zeniths of intellectuality,
Eco is a humble and modest scholar. He brushes aside compliments and never boasts about his achievements. He is keen to
share his experiences with others and shares the secret of accomplishing so much work by revealing the facts that he makes use

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of time- gaps between different pieces of work. Eco follows an informal and playful style of writing with a narrative aspect.
Even his research work has a quality of creative writing and makes informative as well as interesting reading.

Question 14.
Eco’s academic work has certain playful and personal quality about it. Comment.
Answer:
Eco presents his arguments very logically and with a subtle wit and playfulness to it. He himself says that he started writing
novels by accident. He essentially considers himself a university professor who wrote novels on Sunday. This non-fictional
writing is a marked departive from the regular depersonalized style which is often dry and boring. Even his research work has
the quality of creative writing and makes not only information but also interesting reading. In his doctoral dissertation, Eco
tells the story of his research including his trials and errors. His: essays too always have a narrative aspect.

Question 15.
Umberto Eco is an academic as well as a famous novelist. Comment.
Answer:
Despite getting famous as a novelist, Umberto Eco always associated himself with the academic community. He has written
only five novels as compared to the forty scholarly works of non-fiction. He considers himself as a university professor who
writes novels on Sundays. When he presented his first Doctoral dissertation in Italy, one of the professors was impressed by
the way he told the story of his research, including his trials and errors. His essays always have a narrative aspect. He started
writing novels quite late, at the age of 50, by accident to satisfy his taste for narration.

Question 16.
Why do some celebrity writers not like being interviewed?
Answer:
Some celebrities see themselves as victims, and despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives. They feel
that it somehow diminishes them, just as in some primitive cultures it is believed that ‘if one takes a photographic portrait of
somebody then one is stealing that person’s soul’. V.S. Naipaul feels that ‘some people are wounded by interviews and lose a
part of themselves’. Lewis Carroll says that he has ‘just a horror for the interviewer’ and he never consented to be interviewed.
Rudyard Kipling expressed an even more condemnatory attitude towards the interviewer. His wife reports her husband as
saying that he considered an interview as a crime and immoral and thus it merits punishment.

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