A Visit to a Small Planet

Q.1. What is the purpose of visit of Kreton? (imp)

Ans: As Kreton says the purpose of his visit is to take the charge of the world He also wants to study
the culture of the earthen people.

Q.2. How did Kreton impress General Powers? (imp)

Ans: Kreton impresses General Powers with extraordinary powers. He reads the thinking of human
minds. He builds an invisible wall around his ship. It is also an impressive thing that he has come to
take over the charge of the world single-handed.

Q.3. What is the role of General Powers in the play? (imp)

Ans: General Powers is the powerful chief of National Guard. His duty is to protect his country from
foreign invasion. He doubts the Kreton to be a spy and wants to arrest him. He tries to overpower him
but stands powerless before Kreton.

Q.4. Draw a character sketch of Ms. Spelding.

Ans: Mrs. Spelding is a simple and loving lady. She has no interest in national and international
affairs. She becomes worried when the spaceship lands right on her rose-garden. She asks John to ask
Kreton to remove his spaceship from there.

Q.5. What type of life do you foresee in 5000? (imp)

Ans: The life in 5000 would be highly scientific. People may have the ability to read others’ minds.
Space journey will be common. Along with all this progress, there will be a decline of moral values.

Q.6. How damaging is violence in life? Write five sentences.

Ans: Violence is destructive in every respect. It gives birth to terrorism. It breeds a sense of fear in the
people. It destroys peace and order of the society. It is the mother of all wars.

Q.7. How does Kreton prove his extraordinary powers? (imp)

Ans: Kreton is a wonderful creature. He proves his extraordinary powers in various ways. He tells
that he has come to take over the charge of the world. He reads the minds of the people. He creates a
shield around him and his spaceship. He knows all the languages of the world.

Q.8. What is the theme of Kreton’s study?

Ans: Kreton’s visit to earth is study-based. He wants to study the life and lifestyle of earthen people.
He is especially interested in the study of the current phase of human civilization.

Extra questions
Q.9. What does General powers accuse Kreton of?

Ans: He accuses Kreton of being a spy for another country or planet.

Q.10. Who is John? What does he do? (Any question about John)

Ans: John is a boyfriend of Ellen, the daughter of Mr. Spelding. He is a farm owner. He grows
English walnuts there. Mr. Spelding does not like him for lazy nature. He loves Ellen and both want to
marry.

Q.11. Who is Ellen? OR Write a note on Ellen.

Ans: Ellen is a young girl of twenty. She is the daughter of Mr. Spelding. She is a devoted lover of
John, a farm owner. She is vocal and well-read.

Q.12. What are views of Kreton about Earthen people? OR Why does Kreton call earthen
people ‘the poor fragile butterflies’?
Ans: Kreton thinks that the earthen people are very weak before his own people. He says that earthen
people have to die one day. We have no control over time. So, he calls the earthen people poor fragile
butterflies.

The Oyster and the Pearl

Q.1: Where does the play take place?

Ans: It takes place in Harry’s shop in OK-by-the. Sea, California, population 909.

Q.2: Why is Harry sitting in barber’s chair?

Ans: Harry is having his haircut. Therefore, he is sitting in the barber’s chair.

Q. 3: According to Harry how one can bring merriments to the tired old human hearts?
Ans: Harry thinks that one can bring merriments to the tired old hearts by composing a
symphony, painting a picture, writing a book or inventing a philosophy.

Q. 4: What is Harry’s philosophy? (impotant)

Ans: His philosophy is “take-it-easy way”.

Q. 5: How much did Harry pay for his barber’s shop? How long has Harry been in OK-
by-the-Sea?
Ans: He bought the shop in 75 dollars. He has been living in O.K-by-the-Sea for twenty-four
years.

Q. 6: How many barbers are there in O.K-by-the-sea?

Ans: Except Harry, there is no other barber in O.K-by-the-sea?

Q. 7: How much does Harry charge for the haircut?

Ans: He charges one dollar for the haircut but he often takes half or a quarter.

Q. 8: Where is Clay going?

Ans: He is going to the beach to find something special.

Q. 9: Why does Clay need money? (important)

Ans: He needs money to bring his father back. He also wants to give a gift to his mother.

Q. 10: What has happened to Clay’s father? (important)

Ans: Clay’s father is a poor man and he cannot fulfill the basic needs of his children. His
wife always quarrels with him for this reason. Therefore, he has left the house and has gone
to Salinas to earn money.

Q.11: What has Clay put in the local paper?

Ans: In his ad Clay requests his father to return home. His family is missing him a lot.

Q. 12: Who is Miss McCutcheon? How does she fell about her job?
Ans: She is a new teacher at the school of O.K.-by-the-Sea. She is unhappy about her job
because the children do not take her seriously.
Q. 13: What is Miss McCutcheon looking for? How does she feel about the children
of the town?
Ans : She is looking for the children to examine their interests and habits. She does not feel
good about the children of the town because they are careless and do not take her seriously.

Q. 14: What does Harry advise her to do? (important)

Ans: He advises her to go back to San Francisco. He thinks that she is a young and pretty girl
who needs excitement. He also asks her to marry a young man.

Q. 15: What kind of haircut does Miss McCutcheon want?

Ans: She wants poodle haircut.

Q. 16: Can Harry give a poodle haircut?

Ans: No, he cannot give a poodle haircut.

Q,17: What does Miss McCutcheon think that a poodle haircut will do for
her appearance?
Ans: She wants to change her appearance by poodle haircut. She thinks that this haircut will
make her simple and plain. Then she will easily adjust herself to the surroundings.

Q.18: Where has Clark Larrabee been? How does he get to O.K.-by-the-sea?
Ans: He is working in Salinas. He comes to O.K.-by-the-sea by truck.

Q.19: What does Clark give Harry? For what purpose?

Ans: Clark gives Harry thirty dollars to give them to Clay so that Clay could give the money
to his mother.

Q. 20: How far is it to Hollywood from O.K.-by-the-sea?

Ans: Hollywood is about two hundred miles away from O.K.-by-the-sea.

Q. 21: What work does the man do?

Ans: He is a writer.

Q. 22: What did Clay find near black rock? (important)

Ans: He found one oyster near a black rock.

Q. 23: What does Clay believe in the oyster? How much is it worth?
Ans: Clay believes that there is a pearl in the oyster worth of two to three hundred dollars.

Q. 24: Does Miss McCutcheon believe that there is a big pearl in the oyster?
Ans: No, she does not believe that there is a big pearl in the oyster?

Q.25: Why does Miss McCutcheon have a chair with three legs?
Ans: Like many other people she has brought this chair from the
beach. She does not mean to use it.

Q. 26: What kind of judge is Judge Applegarth?

Ans: He is not judge of any court. Once he judged the dogs at the county fair that
gave him the name of judge Applegarth.
Q. 27: What year is it?
Ans: It is 1953.

Q. 26: What does Greely have in a bottle?

Ans: He has sea water in the bottle.

Q. 29: Who suggests that they should open the oyster?

Ans: Miss McCutcheon suggests that they should open the oyster.

Q.30: Why do they want Wozzeck to come? (important)

Ans: Wozzeck is a watch repairer, therefore, they think that he can open the oyster without
damaging its pearl.

Q.31: How does Harry describe the inhabitants of O.K.-by-the-sea? (important)

Ans: Harry says that poor families live in the town. Every family has garden and children. Th
ey do not have jobs and earn their living mostly by selling vegetables and eggs. Those who
get the job can work only two months. A few get the pension.

Q. 32: How does Miss McCutcheon view Harry’s thinking about the pearl in the oyster?
Ans: She thinks that Harry is encouraging people to tell a lie. Instead, he should show the
people reality that there is no pearl in the oyster.

Q. 33: Why does judge think that Miss McCutcheon will not last a teacher? What kind
of teacher does he think they needed?
Ans: He thinks that she is young and beautiful and can’t control the children. He favors an ol
d experienced teacher to teach and control the children.

Q. 34: What is Applegarth complain about the sea? (important)

Ans: He complains that the quality of stuff washed up by sea is not good.

Q. 35: What kind of gadget does the writer describe?

Ans: He describes the gadget that is found in New York. He says that it is like a safety razor
and with its help anyone can have his haircut.
Q.36: Who buys the oyster? How much does he pay?
Ans: The writer buys the oyster for three hundred dollars.

Q. 37: Does the writer open the oyster? Why not?

Ans: He does not open the oyster. He believes that the pearl is growing. But the fact is this
that he buys the oyster only to help the poor family. He knows that there is no pearl in the
oyster but the whole story is itself a pearl.

Q. 38: Why does Clark Larrabee return?

Ans: After reading the ad in the newspaper he realizes the worries of his family and decides t
o return his home.

Q. 39: What does the writer do with the oyster?

Ans: The writer turns it in his fingers and watches it carefully. After that, he puts it into his
pocket.