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VELAMMAL BODHI CAMPUS, ANUPPANADI, MADURAI

The Last Lesson
By Alphonse Daudet

About the Author

Alphonse Daudet was a French short-story writer and novelist, now remembered chiefly as the
author of sentimental tales of provincial life in the south of France. He was born on May 13, 1840 at
Nimes in France. He was the son of a silk manufacturer. In 1849 his father had to sell his factory
and move to Lyon. Alphonse wrote his first poems and his first novel at age 14. He died on Dec. 16,
1897 in Paris, France.
Setting
The present story is set during the days of Franco – Prussian War (1870 – 18710) in which France
was defeated by Prussia led by Bismarck. At that time Prussia consisted of Germany, Poland and
some parts of Austria.

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Characters
1. Franz: A school student.
2. M Hamel: A teacher of French language
3. Class: Consists of some students and some elderly people of the village.
4. Old Hauser: An elderly villager
5. Sister of M Hamel
Brief Introduction
‘The last lesson ‘ written by Alphonse Daudet narrates about the year 1870 when the Prussian forces
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under Bismarck attacked and captured France. The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine went into
Prussian hands. The new Prussian rulers discontinued the teaching of French in the schools of these
two districts. The French teachers were asked to leave. Now M. Hamel could no longer stay in his
old school. Still he gave the last lesson to his students with utmost devotion and sincerity as ever.

One such student of M. Hamel, Franz who dreaded French class and M. Hamel’s iron rod, came to
the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his lesson on participles. But
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on reaching school he found Hamel dressed in his fine Sunday clothes and the old people of the
village sitting quietly on the back benches. It was due to an order from Berlin. That was the first day
when he realized for the first time that how important French was for him, but it was his last lesson
in French. The story depicts the pathos of the whole situation about how people feel when they don’t
learn their own language. It tells us about the significance of one’s language in one’s life for the very
existence of a race and how important it is to safeguard it.
Main points
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1. Franz is afraid of going to school as he has not learnt participles.

2. Wants to enjoy the beauty of nature – the bright sunshine – the birds chirruping in the woods –
Prussian soldiers’ drilling but resisted.
3. On reaching school Franz notices: unusual silence – Villagers occupying the last benches –
teacher well dressed – everybody looked sad.
4. M. Hamel announces: Today is the last lesson in French.
5. Franz regrets and realizes why he had not taken his lesson seriously.
6. Understands the reason why teacher is well dressed and villagers sitting at the back.
7. M. Hamel realizes that all three, he himself, the children and the parents are to be blamed for
losing respect and regards for the mother tongue.
8. Hamel says: French language – most beautiful, clear and logical language in the world. Always
keep close the mother tongue to your heart as it is a key to the prison of slavery.
9. Hamel becomes emotional and writes on the black board “Vive La France”
10. Franz remembers the last lesson very well.
Important Short Answer Type Questions

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Q1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Ans. Franz was expected to be prepared with participles that day for school, as Mr. Hamel had said
that he would question them on participles.
Q2. Why was Franz tempted to play truant from school?
Ans. The French teacher M Hamel was going to ask questions on participles which Franz had not
prepared. To avoid being scolded he was tempted to play truant from school and spend the day out
doors in a pleasurable manner.
Q3. What was unusual about the school that Franz noticed when he entered the school?
Ans. On entering the school, Franz noticed that there was unusual silence. There was no noise of
opening and closing of desks. The village elders had occupied the last benches that were always
empty. M Hamel was in his very fine Sunday clothes. Everybody looked sad.
Q4. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?
Ans. Franz had a negative view about the bulletin-board as for the last two years only bad news had
come from it. That day was no exception as Germans had put up an order passed from Berlin on the
bulletin-board to teach only German in the school of Alsace and Lorraine.

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Q5. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Ans. The order from Berlin caused man changes in the school that day. The entire school seemed
strange and solemn. The old villagers were sitting on the back benches of the classroom quietly to
thank M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service and for showing their respect for the country. M
Hamel also had put on his best dress on that day though it was not an inspection or prize day. The
order from Berlin also brought a sense of repentance for those who in spite of having time didn’t
learn the French properly.
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Q6. How did Franz’s feelings about M Hamel and school change?
Ans. Earlier Franz didn’t like M. Hamel much because of his ruler and cranky nature and he would
feel fear from him but now all those feelings were entirely changed for M Hamel.
The message conveyed by M Hamel about the order from Berlin was a thunderclap for little Franz.
He immediately felt sorry for not being sincere in the school and for not learning the French
language and other lessons properly. His books, which seemed a nuisance and a burden earlier
Franz’s old friends.
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Q7. What reasons did M Hamel give for their lack of interest in learning French?
Ans. The lack of interest in learning French was:
(a) due to the parents who wanted their children to work in farm or mill to earn,
(b) due to the students who were reluctant to learn and often put off the lesson for the next day
(c) and due to himself as he asked them to water the flower and gave them off when he had to go
for fishing
Q8. Why doesn’t M Hamel want the people to forget French?
Ans. M Hamel wanted them not to forget French as it is the most beautiful, clear and logical
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language in the world and as long as they hold fast to their language it would be as if they had the
key to the prison.
Q9. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?
Ans. The Frenchmen were highly patriotic and took a pride in their language. A strong feeling of
revolt was in the air against the Germans. It shows that Franz did not accept their rule and thought
that they can’t tame pigeons.
Q10. Describe how M Hamel conducted the last lesson.
Ans. In his last French class though M. Hamel was emotional he fully involved himself in the
teaching learning process. He heard every lesson to the last sitting motionless in the chair. When the
church bell struck twelve he stood up pale and wrote ‘Vive La French’ and with a gesture he
communicated that the school is dismissed.
Q11. What did M Hamel say about the French language?
Ans. M Hamel said that French language was world’s most beautiful, clearest and logical
language and therefore it should be guarded and should not be forgotten by them. He also added

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that the love with one’s own language can be proven as the key to the prison for the people who are
enslaved.
Q12. Why did villagers come to school that day?
Ans. The old men of the village came to the school that day to thank M Hamel for his forty years of
faithful service. They also came to show their respect for the country that was theirs no more.
Q13. How did Franz find teaching and learning that day?
Ans. Franz found teaching and learning very interesting that day. He was very attentive and careful.
Franz also realized that M Hamel had never explained everything with so much patience. It seemed
almost as if the poor man wanted to give them all he knew before going away. M Hamel wanted to
put it all into their heads at one stroke as it was their last lesson.
Important long Answer Type Questions
Q1. How did M Hamel react when Franz failed to recite rule for the participle?
Ans. Franz’s name was called to recite the rule for the participles. But he got mixed up on the first
word. He was standing there, holding on to his desk, his heart beating and not daring to look up. But
M. Hamel instead of scolding, he told Franz that he must feel bad enough. He said that every day we

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think that we have plenty of time and we will learn it tomorrow. And now you see where we have
come out by putting off learning till tomorrow. Now those fellows out there will have the right to say
to you, “How is it; you pretend to be Frenchman, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own
language?”
Then M Hamel told Franz that only he was not to be blamed. His parents were not anxious enough to
have him learn. They preferred to put Franz to work on a farm or at the mills, so as to have a little
more money. M. Hamel blamed himself for it also. He said that quite often he had been sending
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Franz to water his flowers instead of learning his lessons. And when he wanted to go for fishing, he
would just give him a holiday.
Q2. What does M Hamel tell about the significance and safeguarding of French language? How
does he conclude his last lesson?
Ans. M Hamel said that French was the most beautiful, clear and logical language in the world. They
must guard it among them and never forget it because when the people are enslaved, as long as
they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.
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Then M. Hamel opened a grammar and read the students their lesson. All he said seemed so easy.
He had never explained everything with so much patience: After the grammar, they had a lesson in
writing. M Hamel had new copies for the students, written in a beautiful round hand: France, Alsace,
France, Alsace. He had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last.
It seemed almost as if he wanted to give us all he knew before going away and put it all into their
heads at one stroke. He wanted to say something, but he could not go on. Then he turned on the
blackboard, took a piece of chalk and wrote “Vive La France!” Lastly he said: “School is
dismissed—you may go.”
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Q3. What impression do you form of M Hamel on the basis of your study of the story “The Last
Lesson”?
Ans. M. Hamel is an experienced teacher who has been teaching in school for forty years. He
imparts primary education in all subjects. He is a hard task master and students like Franz, who are
not good learners, are in great dread of being scolded by him.
The latest order of the Prussian rulers upsets him. He has to leave the place for ever and feels heart
broken. He feels sad but exercises self-control. He has the courage to hear every lesson to the last.
His performance during the last lesson is exemplary. He is kind even to a late comer like Franz. He
uses a solemn and gentle tone while addressing the students. He has a logical mind and can analyze
problems and deduce the reasons responsible for it. The problem for Alsace is that it puts off
learning till tomorrow.
He knows the emotional hold of a language over its users. He is a good communicator and explains
everything patiently. Partings are painful and being human, M. Hamel too is no exception. He fails to
say good-bye as his throat is choked. On the whole, he is a patriotic gentleman.

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Q4. Franz’ attitude towards school as well as towards M. Hamel changes when he comes to know
about the takeover of his village by Prussians. Do you agree? Discuss with reference to the ‘Last
Lesson’.
Ans. The orders from Berlin to take over the village where Franz lives have been pasted on the
school notice board. Only German language would be taught in the school and French teacher had to
go. Franz felt sorry for not learning his lessons in French any more. His books that had seemed such
a nuisance a short while ago, which he found so heavy to carry seemed to him old friends. His
feelings about his French teacher M Hamel Were changed. He decided to pay attention to the lesson.
The school became very important for him. The idea that the teacher was going away, genuinely
upset Franz who became too serious for history and grammar. I fully agree with it as one has to take
one’s deeds seriously when he feels the loss of it.
Q5. Give a brief description of M Hamel.
Ans. M Hamel was a very devoted, dedicated and a strict man of discipline. Students were afraid of
his cranky nature and iron ruler. He was a true patriot and a sincere teacher who dedicatedly served
the school for long forty years. The heart of this true Frenchman totally broke when he received the

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order from Berlin to vacate his place to make the space for a new German teacher. He remained
upset during his last class. This changed his behavior too and he behaved rather very politely and
patiently. When Franz was not able to say his lesson correctly, he, instead of scolding him, just made
him understand about the importance and relevance of learning the mother tongue. He preached
everyone presented in the class that important things should never be postponed as time flies very
fast.
Q6. What is linguistic chauvinism? Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far?
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Ans. Linguistic chauvinism means an aggressive and unreasonable belief that your own language is
better than all others. This shows an excessive or prejudiced support for one’s own language.
Sometimes pride in one’s own language goes too far and the linguistic enthusiasts can be easily
identified by their extreme zeal for the preservation and spread of their language.
In their enthusiasm, love and support for their own language, they tend to forget that other
languages too have their own merits, long history of art, culture and literature behind them. Instead
of bringing unity and winning over others as friends, having excessive pride in one’s own language
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creates ill-will and disintegration. The stiff resistance to the acceptance of Hindi as national
language by the southern states of India is a direct outcome of the fear of being dominated by Hindi
enthusiasts. The result is that “one India” remains only a slogan.
COMPREHENSION:
1) Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the
opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with our hands over our ears to
understand better, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table. But now it was all so still! I had
counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything
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had to be as quiet as Sunday morning.

Questions :
(a) What was the great bustle when school began usually?
(b) What do you understand by ‘Counted on the commotion?
(c) What was the scene of the classroom that day?
(d) Name the chapter and the writer.
Answers:
(a) When school began usually, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the
opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud and teacher’s great ruler rapping
on the table.
(b) Counted on the commotion’ means getting an advantage of hubbub, various heavy noises :
disturbances spread out there.
(c) That day, there was no noise in the classroom, everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning.
(d) The chapter is ‘The Last Lesson’ written by ‘Alphonse Daudet’.

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2) My last French lesson ! Why, I hardly knew how to write ! I should never learn any more ! I must
stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds’ eggs, or going
sliding on the Saar! My books, that had seemed such a nuisance while ago, so heavy to carry, my
grammar and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up. And M. Hamel,
too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me forget all about his
ruler and how cranky he was. \
Questions :
(a) How did Franz come to know that it was his last French lesson ?
(b) What did Franz usually do in place of learning his lessons ?
(c) Whom did Franz not give up then ?
(d) What feelings were appeared in Franz’s heart about M. Hamel ?
Answers:
(a) M. Hamel himself announced, “My Children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has
come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.” In this way, Franz
came to know that it was his last French lesson.

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(b) Franz usually went for seeking birds’ eggs or going sliding on the Saar ! Thus, he used to waste
his time in place of learning his lessons.
(c) Franz couldn’t give up then his books, his grammar and his history of the saints. These were his
old friends then after the announcement.
(d) Franz became very sad thinking that he should never see him again, he was going away. This
made him forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was.
3)Then, from one thing to another,’ M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it
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was the most beautiful language in the world the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it
among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their
language it is as if they had the key to their prison. Then he opened a grammar and read us our
lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy !
Questions:
(a) What did M. Hamel say about the French language ?
(b) What advise did M. Hamel give about the language ?
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(c) ‘Key to their prison’, explain the phrase.
(d) Why Franz was amazed to see how well he understood.it ?
Answers:
(a) M. Hamel told about the French language that it was the most beautiful language in the
world—the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us and never forget it.
(b) M. Hamel advised to guard the language among us and never forget it, because when a people
are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.
(c) ‘Key to their prison’ means ‘an escape from the sla very/boundation’. This was referred by M.
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Hamel to the villagers.

(d) Franz was amazed to see how well he understood it because before that day, he was unable to
understand anything regarding studies, actually he was careless then.
4) All at once the churchclock struck twelve. Then the Angelus. At the same moment the trumpets of
the Prassians, returning from drill, sounded under our windows. Mi Hamel stood up, very pale, in his
chair. I never saw him look so tall. “My friends”, said he, “I—I—” But something choked him. He could
not go on.
Questions :
(a) What is an ‘Angelus’ ?
(b) What did Franz listen under their windows ?
(c) ‘I never saw him look so tali’. What does this mean ?
(d) Why M. Hamel couldn’t speak ? What choked him ?
Answers :
(a) An ‘Angelus’ is a Catholic denotion/prayers memorializing the incarnation. (Prayer for the honour

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of the God).
(b) Franz noticed the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from the drill, sounded under their
windows.
(c) ‘I never saw him look so tall’ means that Franz never saw M. Hamel so tired, depressed and
disappointed. He (M. Hamel) was looking very pale and apathetic and lifeless.
(d) M. Hamel couldn’t speak due to extensive sorrow and the wheeze (cough) choked his throat as
he was internally agonized.
The Lost Spring
By Anees Jung
About the author
Anees Jung is an author, journalist and a columnist for major newspapers in India and abroad. She
was born in Hyderabad in 1944 in an aristocratic family. Her father, Nawab Hosh Yar Jung, was a
renowned scholar and poet. He was the adviser to the last Nizam of Hyderabad princely state. Her
schooling and graduation were completed from her hometown. Later she went abroad for higher
studies. She did her Masters in Sociology and American Studies from University of Michigan, Ann

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Arbor, US. She started her career in literal writing with the Youth Times, a Times of India publication.
Later she served as its editor from 1976 to 1979. Prior to it, she worked as journalist. Jung came into
the limelight with the publication of Unveiling India in 1987. Later she published several books
dealing with social issues including abused children and women’s problems. Jung is noted for her
lively and vivid descriptions, though she rarely gives its solutions.
Characters
Saheb-e-Alam: A rag picker
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Mukesh: Son of a bangle maker
Introduction
The story, “Lost Spring” describes the pitiable condition of poor children who have been forced to
miss the joy of childhood due to the socio-economic condition that prevails in this man-made world.
These children are denied the opportunity of schooling and forced into labour early in life. Anees
Jung gives voice to eliminate child labour by educating the children and to enforce the laws against
child labour by the governments strictly. The call is to end child exploitation and let the children enjoy
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the days of the spring that bring joy under their feet.
Summary
I – Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage.
The first part tells the writer’s impressions about the life of the poor rag pickers. The rag pickers
have migrated from Dhaka and found a settlement in Seemapuri. Their fields and homes had been
swept away by storms. They had come to the big city to find a living. They are poor. The writer
watches Saheb every morning scrounging for “gold” in her neighbourhood. Garbage is a means of
survival for the elders and for the children it is something wrapped in wonder. The children come
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across a coin or two from it. These people have desires and ambitions, but they do not know the way
to achieve them. There are quite a few things that are unreachable to them, namely shoes, tennis
and the like. Later Saheb joins a tea stall where he could earn 800 Rupees and all the meals. The job
has taken away his freedom.
II – I want to drive a car.
The second part deals with the life of Mukesh, who belongs to the family of Bangle-makers.
Firozabad is best known for its glass-blowing industry. Nearly 20,000 children are engaged in this
business and the law that forbids child labour is not known here.
The living condition and the working environment is a woeful tale. Life in dingy cells and working
close to hot furnaces make these children blind when they step into the adulthood. Weighed down by
the debt, they can neither think nor find a way to come of out of this trap.
The politicians, middlemen, policemen and bureaucrats will all obstruct their way of progress. The
women in the household consider it as their fate and just follow the tradition. Mukesh is different
from the rest of the folk there. He dreams to become a motor mechanic. The garage is far away

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from his house but he shall walk.

Main points
I – Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage.
1. The writer encounters Saheb every morning scrounging for gold in the garbage.
2. Saheb-e-Alam, a refugee from Dhaka, Bangladesh is a ragpicker.
3. Wants to go to school, but can’t – very poor.
4. Lives in Seemapuri – a locality on the periphery of Delhi without any basic amenities.
5. Most of the rag pickers live here.
6. Food is more important for them than identity.
7. Rag picking is different for children and adult.
8. For adults – a mean of survival
9. For children – wrapped in wonders
10. Sahib gets a job in tea stall, earns Rs. 800/- and all his meal but still unhappy
11. Loses his freedom and carefree look.
II – I want to drive a car.

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1. The writer comes across Mukesh in Firozabad.
2. His family is engaged in making bangles but Mukesh insists on being his own master.
3. He desires to become a motor mechanic.
4. They work in dingy cells without air and light and furnaces with high temperatures.
5. As a result, most of them become blind at a very young age.
6. They don’t have money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles.
7. They can’t organize into a co-operative.
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8. They are afraid of being hauled up by the Police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing something
illegal.
9. There is no leader among them.
10. They talk of poverty, apathy, greed and injustice.
11. So poor that they can’t even dream – to do anything means to dare – and daring is not part of
their growing.
12. The author is cheered when she senses a flash of it in Mukesh who wants to be a motor
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mechanic.
Important Short Questions
Q1. What does the title ‘Lost Spring’ convey?
Ans. The title ‘Lost Spring’ conveys and picturizes that childhood is like the spring. As everything
blooms in this season, in the same way the childhood should bloom but through the poverty of
Saheb and Mukesh, we come to know about their stolen childhood. It is being destroyed and
dumped in the web of poverty, dirt and dust.
Q2. What does Anees Jung want to reveal in her story ‘Lost Spring’?
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Ans. Anees Jung has portrayed two stories in ‘Lost Spring’ and both depict the grinding poverty,
pitiable condition of life and the other traditions that condemn the children to a life of exploitation.
For the rag-pickers of Seemapuri, garbage is gold and means of survival.
The bangle-makers of Firozabad live in dingy cells and stinking lanes. Even after much toil, they do
not get full meal.
Part I – Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage.
Q1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans. Saheb is scrounging for anything in the garbage dump that he can sell and make money. This is
the only means of survival. He sometimes manages to find a rupee or even ten rupees. He now lives
with his family in Seemapuri, a slum on the outskirts of Delhi. His family has migrated from
Bangladesh in search of a better life.
Q2. What makes the authoress embarrassed at having made a promise that was not
meant?
Ans. On encountering with Saheb, the writer asks him to go to school. Immediately at the second

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thought, she realizes that the advice must sound very hollow. On the other hand, Saheb replies that
there is no school in his neighbourhood. And he will go if the authorities make one. The writer asks
half-jokingly if she starts a school, “will he go?” Saheb goes on asking her “Is your school ready?” She
feels embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant.
Q3. Does the rag picking mean the same thing for parents and children? Give reasons for your
answer.
Ans. No, rag picking is not the same for parents and children. For children it is wrapped in wonders
where as for parents it is the means of survival.
Q4. Why was not Saheb happy on getting a job?
Ans. Saheb was not happy on getting a job in tea stall for a salary of Rs.800/- per month as he lost
his freedom. He had to carry the stall owner’s steel canister in place of his bag. He had lost his
freedom and carefree look. He was now no longer his own master.
Q5. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Ans. Most people, who have migrated from villages to cities, have done so because of the promise
of a better life. Some of them have not been able to earn any money from farming because of the

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unpredictable vagaries of the weather. They have had no jobs and no way of earning a livelihood.
Cities provide a ray of hope as they are a means of escaping from abject poverty and offer hope of
some employment. These people feel that though they may have to live in the most abysmal
conditions in the city, they will get at least some food to eat.
Part II – I want to drive a car.
Q1. What was Mukesh’s dream?
Ans. Mukesh belongs to the family of bangle makers. He tells the writer to become a motor
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mechanic. He will learn to drive a car and does not hesitate to go to the far off garage. He has no
desire to live and become the victim of poverty.
Q2. Why don’t the bangle makers of Firozabad organize themselves?
Ans. The bangle makers are trapped in the vicious circle of middlemen and police. If they organize a
co-operative, they will be hauled up, beaten and dragged to jail by the police for doing something
illegal. There is no leader to help them out from their misery. They are the victims of greed and
injustice.
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Q3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Ans. Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic and drive a car. He wants to break away from the
generations-old family tradition of bangle making. His family is not as optimistic as he is, but he is
determined and exhibits a spark of courage and hope and dares to dream, even though it means
walking miles to get to the garage.
Q4. Why does the author say that the bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web?
Ans. The family of bangle makers were caught in the vicious web of poverty. They are forced to
practise their ancestral profession. They remain ill fed and ill clad throughout life. They have no
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money to switch over their profession. Their hard work is mind numbling. The police does not allow
them to form co-operatives.
Q5. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Ans. Mukesh belongs to the family of bangle- makers who prepare colourful bangles like that of
rainbow. But his attitude to this situation is different from others. He is a daring boy and he
announces, “I will be a motor mechanic, I will leam to drive a car. Though the garage is a long way
from his home yet he insists I will go to the garage and learn.”
The determination and strong will of becoming a motor mechanic and learning to drive a car, seems
to be as firm as a rock in Mukesh. That is why he says he will walk to the garage which is a long way
from his home. Though his dream appears to be vague, unclear and like a mirage yet he has a
different ambition to fulfil. He can materialize his dream once he walks.
Q6. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans. The bangle makers firmly believe that having been born in the caste and community of bangle
makers, they cannot escape their fate and must remain where they are. They believe that bangle

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making is the only skill they possess and that they must pass on the legacy to their children. Bangle
making is not a lucrative source of income but they have no alternative and hence remain
entrenched in the same. They have fallen into the vicious clutches of middlemen who had trapped
their fathers and their forefathers. They are afraid to form cooperatives to safeguard themselves
because they feel that they will be beaten up by the police and jailed for doing something illegal.
Steeped in despair and apathy, they no longer have the will to aspire and better their lot. Some of the
industrialists conspire in unison with the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen and the politicians
and then go on exploiting them. They see very little hope of escaping from their impoverished life of
misery and privation.
Q7. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. / Describe the difficulties the
bangle makers of Firozabad have to face in their lives.
Ans. The glass blowing industry of Firozabad employs local families and these families have spent
generations working around furnaces, welding glass and making bangles of different colours.
Working around the high temperature furnaces is very injurious to our growing bodies. The dark
dingy cells without light and air worsen the working conditions of the children. The dazzling and

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sparking of welding light and the high temperature render the situation hellish. About 20,000 children
slog their day light hours and often lose the brightness of their eyes before they become adults.
The bangle-makers lead their life in utter miseries and grinding poverty. They could never prosper
working in this industry. They hardly get a belly full of meal in their lifetime. Thus they are not only
underfed but also prone to ailments. The dingy cells and stinking smell of garbage choke their
bodies. There are flames of flickering oil lamps, the blinding polishing and the welding work put a
deep impact on their bodies. Those who work in bangle industries, lose their eyesight before they
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become adult.
Q8. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Ans. The child labour employed in any form is an offence. It is banned under law. Yet it goes on
unabated at the industrial towns like Firozabad, Shivakasi, Mirzapur and so on.
The child labour is hazardous in nature. It inflicts physical and mental harm to the boys. The work in
the glass bangle industry often ends up them losing their eyesight before they become adults. The
mind-numbling toil of bangle-making kills all their initiatives, drive and ability to dream in life. They
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are even deprived of the school education and proper growth.
According to the writer about 20,000 children are working in the glass bangle industry of Firozabad.
Some of the industrialists conspire in unison with the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen and
the politicians and then go on stealing their childhood for some extra coins. The .only possible
solution lies with the government and the society to punish the wrong¬doers very strictly and keep a
careful watch and vigil over them.
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
(Para-1) “It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was
VB

not meant. But prom¬ises like mine abound in every comer of his bleak world. After months of
knowing him, I ask him his name. “Saheb- e-Alam”, he announces. He does not know what it means.
If he knew its meaning lord of the universe he would have a hard time believing it. Unaware of what
his name represents, he roams streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like the
morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I have come to recognise each of them.
Questions :
(a) Why was the narrator embarrassed ?
(b) What was the meaning of the name of Saheb ?
(c) Why with his friends, Saheb roams the streets ?
(d) Name the chapter and the writer.
Answers :
(a) The narrator was embarrassed because she couldn’t fulfil her promise to start a school.
(b) Saheb’s name meant ‘Lord of the universe’.
(c) With his friends, Saheb roams the streets for ragpicking to scrounge for silver coin or some

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wonderful unex¬pected things.

(d) ‘Lost Spring’ is the chapter written by ‘Anees Jung
(Para-2) Food is more important for survival than an identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed our
families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that
gave us no grain,” say a group of women in tattered saris when I ask them why they left their
beautiful land of green fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become
transit homes.
Questions :
(a) ‘Food is more important for survival than an identity’. Explain.
(b) Who said, “If at the end gave us no grain”?
(c) What did the writer ask to a group of women ?
(d) What are ‘transit homes’ ?
Answers:
(a) Food is more important for survival than an identity as for living a life, a person needs food
continuously. Identity or any other thing is secondary, more important is food.

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(b) A group of women in tattered saris said the aforesaid statement when the narrator asked them
about their migration from Dhaka.
(c) The writer asked to group of women why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers.
(d) ‘Transit Homes’ are the homes which are not permanently constructed or settled, they are
movable and mostly made with light materials as cloth, bamboos or dried grass.
(Para-3) This morning, Saheb is on his way to the milk booth. In his hand is a steel canister. “I now
work in a tea stall down the road,” he says, pointing in the distance. “I am paid 800 rupees and all my
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meals”. Does he like the job ? I ask, His face, I see, has lost the carefree look. The steel canister
seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulder. The bag was his. The
canister belongs to the man owns the tea shop. Saheb is no longer his own master!
Questions :
(a) What is paid to Saheb at tea stall ?
(b) Does Saheb like the job ?
(c) Why steel canister seemed heavier than the plastic ’ bag?
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(d) ‘Saheb is no longer his own master !’ Explain.
Answers :
(a) At tea stall, Saheb is paid 800 rupees and ail his meals.
(b) No, Saheb does not like the job. He is a servant now.
(c) Steel canister seemed heavier than the plastic bag because the bag was his whereas the steel
canister belonged to the man owned the tea shop.
(d) Saheb is no longer his own master means that now Saheb is working as a servant at tea stall, he
has to obey the orders given by the owner of the tea shop. He is a slave now.
VB

(Para-4) Mukesh’s family is among them. None of them know that it is illigal for children like him to
work in the glass furpaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the law, if
enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their
daylight hours, often loosing the brightness of their eyes.
Questions :
(a) What is illegal for children according to the writer ?
(b) Where do those children work ?
(c) What do you understand by ‘they slog their daylight hours’ ?
(d) What is the big loss they face working there?
Answers:
(a) According to the writer, it is illegal for children to work in the glass furnaces with high
temperature, in dingy cells without air and light.
(b) Those children work in the glass furnaces with high temperature, in dingy cells without air and
light.

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(c) ‘They slog their daylight hours’ means that the children, during the day time, work very hard sitting
there and waste their precious time which should be occupied in studies and various creative
activities.
(d) The big loss they (Children) face working there is the loosing of brightness of their eyes.
(Para-5) “It is his Karam, his destiny”, says Mukesh’s grand-mother, who has watched her own
husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. “Can a god- given lineage over
be broken ?” She implies born in the caste of bangle makers, they have seen nothing but bangles in
the house, in the yard, in every other house, in every other yard, every street in Firozabad.
Questions :
(a) “It is his Karam, his destiny.” Explain.
(b) What does it mean : “Can a god-given lineage ever be broken ?”
(c) What happened to Mukesh’s grandfather ?
(d) What is the scene of Firozabad as per the above given description ?
Answers :
(a) “It is his Karam, his destiny” means that to work in bangle industries is their fate since birth and

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they have accepted it as natural.
(b) “Can a god-given lineage ever be broken” means that the grandmother in the form of the question
declares that the descendency which they have got from their ancestors can never be changed.
(c) Mukesh’s grandfather had gone blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles.
(d) In Firozabad in every house, in every yard, in every other house, in every other yard, in even every
street—only the bangles and glass prpducts are found and s6en everywhere.
(Para-6) “Why not organise yourselves into a cooperative ?” I ask a group of young men who have
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fallen into the vicious circle of middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers. “Even if we get
organised, we are the ones who will be hauled up by the police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing
something illegal.” They say. There is no leader among them, no one who could help them see things
differently.
Questions :
(a) What do you understand by a cooperative ?
(b) What is the vicious circle of middlemen ?
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(c) Why do they not get organised ?
(d) Why are they unable to see things differently ?
Answers :
(a) A cooperative is an independent association of persons united willingly to work combindly for the
same goal.
(b) The vicious circle of middlemen is a never ending domain of middlemen like sahukars, the
policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians. The sphere made by them can
never be broken nor be crossed.
VB

(c) They do not get organised bemuse if they got organised, they were the ones who would be hauled
up by the police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal.
(d) They are unable to see things differently because there is no leader among them, who could help
them see things differently for their benefit.
(Para-7) To do anything else would mean to dare. And daring is not part of his growing up. When I
sense a flash of it in Mukesh I am cheered. “I want to be a motor mechanic”, he repeats: He will go to
a garage and learn. But the garage is a long way from his home. “I will walk”, he insists, “Do you also
dream of flying a plane ?” He is suddenly silent. “No,” he says staring at the ground.
Questions:
(a) Why word ‘dare’ is used here for bangle makers ?
(b) Why did the writer cheer ?
(c) What does Mukesh want to be ?
(d) Why did the writer ask, “Do you also dream of flying a plane ?”
Answers:

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(a) Bangle makers are very fearful from the middlemen. To do or think anything else except bangle
making is a sign of revolt which was found only in Mukesh.
(b) The waiter cheered finding a flash of daring in Mukesh when he says, “I want to be a motor
mechanic”.
(c) Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic for which he is ready to take any pain as the garage is a
long way from his home.
(d) The writer asked, “Do you also dream of flyingn plane” because she wanted to check Mukesh’s
dedication and real desire,
DEEP WATER

About the Author

William Orville Douglas was an American jurist and politician. He was born on October 16, 1898, in
Maine, Minnesota. After doing graduation, he taught for two year in a school in Yakima. But soon he
got tired of this job and pursued a legal career. Douglas was appointed to the United States Supreme
Court at the age of 40 and served for more than 36 years, longer than any other justice in the Court’s

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history. Both on and off the Court, Douglas was outspoken in his support for individual rights and for
preserving the natural environment. He died on January 19, 1980, in Washington, D.C.

Introduction
In this story, Douglas talks about his fear of water and how he finally overcomes it with strong will
power, courage, hard work and firm determination. Once he took courage, the fear vanished. That
shows most of our fears are baseless. Fear creates dangers where there is none. The writer’s
experiences further confirm the proverbial truth, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
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Characters & Places
Douglas: Narrator of the story
YMCA Pool: A swimming pool run by Young Men’s Christian Association
Yakima: Yakima is a US city located about 60 miles southeast of Mount Rainier in Washington.
Summary
The story, “Deep Waters” tells us how the writer overcame his fear of water and learned swimming
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with sheer determination and will power. He had developed a terror of water since childhood. When
he was three or four years old, the writer had gone to California with his father. One day on the beach,
the waves knocked the child down and swept over him. The child was terrified but the father who
knew, there was no harm, laughed. The experience bred a permanent fear of water in the child’s sub-
conscious mind. Still another incident, more serious, increased his terror. The writer was trying to
learn swimming in the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool in Yakima. One day while he was waiting for other
boys, a big boy suddenly played a dangerous prank and pushed him into the water. The writer was
terribly frightened. He went down nine feet into the water. When he reached the bottom, he jumped
VB

upward with all his strength. He came up but very slowly. He tried to catch hold of something like a
rope but grasped only at water.
He tried to shout but no sound came out. He went down again. His lungs ached, head throbbed and
he grew dizzy. He felt paralyzed with fear. All his limbs were paralyzed. Only the movement of his
heart told him that he was alive. Again he tried to jump up. But this time his limbs would not move at
all. He looked for ropes, ladders and water wings but all in vain. Then he went down again, the third
time. This time all efforts and fear ceased. He was moving towards peaceful death. The writer was
in peace. When he came to consciousness, he found himself lying on the side of the pool with the
other boys nearby. The terror that he had experienced in the pool never left him. It haunted him for
years and years to come. It spoilt many of his expeditions of canoeing, swimming and fishing. It
spoilt his pleasures in Maine Lakes, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Columbia and Bumping Lake etc.
But the writer was determined to conquer his terror. He took help of a swimming instructor to learn
swimming. The instructor taught him various actions necessary in swimming part by part. He put his
face under water and exhaled and inhaled raising it above water. He practiced it for several weeks.
He had to kick with his legs a few weeks on the side of the pool. At last he combined all these

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actions and made the writer swim. He learned swimming but the terror continued. So deep goes our
childhood experiences! So fearful is the fear of fear! Whenever he was in water the terror returned.
Hence forward the writer tried to terrorize terror itself. He tried to face the new challenge. When
terror came, he confronted it by asking it sarcastically as to what it can really do to him? He plunged
into the water as if to defy the fear. Once he took courage the terror vanquished. He faced the
challenge deliberately in various places like the Warm Lake. He conquered it at last.
Main points
1. Douglas had a desire to learn swimming since childhood.
2. At the age of three or four, he was knocked down and buried by a wave at a beach in California.
3. He developed a great aversion to water.
4. At the age of ten or eleven he decided to learn to swim with water wings at the Y.M.C.A. pool since
it was safe at the shallow end.
5. While sitting alone and waiting for others to come at the Y.M.C.A. pool, a big boy came and threw
Douglas into the deep end of the pool.
6. Douglas swallowed water and went straight down to the bottom of the pool.

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7. While going down he planned to make a big jump upwards but came up slowly.
8. Stark terror seized him.
9. Tried to shout but could not.
10. As he went down the pool the second time he tried to jump upwards but it was a waste of energy.
11. Terror held him deeper and deeper.
12. During the third trial he sucked in water instead of air. So he ceased all efforts and he became
unconscious.
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13. When revived he found himself vomiting beside the pool.
14. He was in the grip of fear of water and it deprived him of the joys of canoeing, boating swimming
and fishing.
15. He took help of a swimming instructor to learn swimming.
16. The instructor taught him swimming piece by piece.
17. He went to different lakes to swim and found tiny vestiges of fear still gripped him.
18. Swimming up and down the warm lake he finally overcame his fear of water.
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19. He realized that in death there is peace and there is terror only in fear of death.
20. Will to live is stronger than fear of death.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. What had happened when Douglas was three or four years old?
Ans. When Douglas was three or four years old he was on the California beach with his father. There
the sea waves knocked him down and swept over him. He felt breathless buried in the water and
was frightened; but his father laughed at him.
Q2. What was the misadventure of Douglas?
VB

Ans. One day, an eighteen year old big bruiser picked him up and tossed him into the nine feet deep
end of the swimming pool. He hit the water surface in a sitting position. He swallowed water and
went at once to the bottom. He nearly died in this misadventure but was somehow miraculously
saved from the mouth of death.
Q3. 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?
Ans. The narrator was frightened but was still able to think. He decided that as his feet hit the
bottom of the pool, he would make a big jump and come to the surface. However, when he could not
manage to come to the surface, he was gripped with panic and this paralyzed his limbs.
Q4. How did Douglas finally overcome his fear of water?
Ans. Douglas overcame his fear of water by challenging the fear itself and going for several round of
swimming in the pool; but finally the residual fear he overcame when he went up to Tieton to Conrad
meadows and swam across the other shore and back of the warm lake as Doug Corpron used to do.
Q5. What thought of Roosevelt deeply impacted Douglas? How did he apply the thought to his life?

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Ans. The thought of Roosevelt that there is terror in the fear of death, had deep impact on Douglas.
He had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror of the fear of death. But later he
brushed aside his fear by challenging it by the strong will power and firm determination. He applied it
and finally succeeded to overcome the fear.
Q6. How did this experience affect him?
Ans. This experience left him fearful of water for a long time. He did not want to go near the pool. He
could not enjoy any water-related sport and it robbed him of the joy of canoeing, boating and
swimming.
Q7. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Ans. Douglas was determined to get rid of this fear as he could not enjoy any of the sports that he
had enjoyed earlier. His fear of water not only kept him away from the pool, but also from activities
like canoeing, boating and fishing.
Q8. How was the instructor successful in making Douglas a perfect swimmier?
Ans. The instructor made Douglas a perfect swimmer by removing his fear of being drowned and
teaching him swimming piece by piece in a period of three months. During the training he let

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Douglas swim back and forth of the pool tying him with a pulley. He taught him to put his face under
the water to exhale and raise above it to inhale.
Q9. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Ans. Douglas swam extensively in all the lakes that he knew, making a concerted effort to rid himself
of his fear
of water. He would swim long lengths, put his head under water, till all the residual fear was gone. It
was at Warm Lake that he was at last able to get rid of the fear of water that had haunted him for so
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long.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Give an account of the fears and emotions of Douglas as he made efforts to save himself from
being drowned in the YMCA swimming pool.
Ans. When the author was flung into the deep end of the pool, he was overcome with fear. He was
able to think rationally and planned that he would jump up as soon as he hit the bottom of the pool.
He hoped that in this way he would be able to rise to the surface of the water. When this action did
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not produce the desired result, he tried it again but in vain. Panic seized him when he realized that he
was engulfed in water that was suffocating him and abject fear immobilized him making his limbs
unresponsive and heavy. His flailing arms failed to find anything to hold on to and he found himself
being pulled down to the bottom. His lungs ached and his silent screams went unheard. The mass of
yellow water that held him captive in its grip produced stark terror over which he had no control.
When three attempts to rise to the surface failed, he fainted. He had experienced the terror that fear
of death can produce.
Q2. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
VB

Ans. The fear of water haunted Douglas for many years till he decided to hire the services of an
instructor and started practising five days a week. The instructor devised a method by which
Douglas could learn swimming without fear. Douglas was to wear a belt around his waist and
attached to this was a rope that went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. After three
months, he had begun to relax. The instructor also put him through the exercise of moving his legs in
water by the side of the pool and though at first Douglas felt paralyzed and quite unable to move,
with sustained effort, he soon overcame it. The instructor then felt that his job was done and that he
had made a swimmer out of Douglas. He swam in different lakes and rivers and it was after he had
swum in Warm Lake that he knew that he had at last conquered the fear of water.
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?
Ans. Douglas, as an adult, recounts this experience as to him it was larger than just overcoming fear
of water. The childhood experience of almost drowning in the pool had been a brush with death and
this had produced in him a greater desire to live. The terror that he had experienced was so real to

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him that only he could understand the full implication of it. It had aroused in him the passion to
destroy the fear that had the ability to incapacitate him to the extent that it numbed his senses and
paralyzed his limbs. This fear continued to haunt him for years and strengthened his resolve to
destroy it for he knew that the only way he could ever live with himself was when he had attained
freedom from it. It was a personal battle that he had to win. The rigorous routine that he put himself
through to overcome his fear bears testimony to his willpower, courage and determination.
Q4. People say that failures are the stepping stones. They are the best teachers. Discuss in about
125 words.
Ans. It is rightly said that failure plays an important role in a man’s life. Failure in one field becomes
the cause of exploring success in other fields. Failures make us familiar with our weaknesses and
flaws. They become the stepping stones and inspire us to fight against odd circumstances. Man
should learn from his mistakes and strive hard to reach at his destination. Most of the successful
peoples failed at any step but could get their target because failures guided them and encouraged
them to try harder. One should never give up one’s target. It is certain that failure inspires us to work
with more strength and vigour. One should never get depressed and dejected. All leaders, fighters,

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businessmen, bureaucrats firmly say that failures are the pillars to success.
Q5. Strong will power and firm determination ensure success in your life. Douglas wanted to learn
swimming but he was afraid of water. He did not give up and finally mastered swimming. He
proved that where there is a will, there is a way. Write your views.
Ans. Strong will power plays a vital role in our life. Firm determination and consistent hard work are
the hallmarks of success. A person who has passionate desire to do something achieves his goals
within the stipulated time. Will power of a human being gives him strength, energy, vigour and
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enthusiasm. It determines the fate of a human being. Absolute determination has the ability to face
and overcome obstacles. No hindrance can defeat the will power. It is invincible and insurmountable.
There is no problem in this world which has no solution. It has been proved by great personalities
that all obstacles can be overcome by sheer determination. Man has the knack to achieve anything.
Nothing is impossible in this world. He must not be fatalist. He should not believe in destiny, but on
karma. Man can accomplish every assignment if he desires. Strong desire is the prerequisite to
success. There is no scope for disappointment in the life of a person who has iron will and dogged
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determination.
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
(Para-1) My introduction to the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred
childish fears. But in a little while I gathered confidence. I paddled with my new water wings,
watching the other boys and trying to learn by aping them. I did this two or three times on different
days and was just beginning to feel at ease in the water when the misadventure happened.
Questions :
(a) What does Y.M.C.A. stand for ?
VB

(b) What are narrator’s unpleasant memories and child ish fears ?
(c) After gathering confidence, what did the narrator do ?
(d) What was the misadventure, narrator faced ?
Answers :
(a) Y.M.C.A. stands for “Young Men’s Christian Association’.
(b) Narrators unpleasant memories and childish fears were the moments of his childhood when he
was drowned by the powerful waves at the beach of California.
(c) After gathering confidence, the narrator paddled with his new little wings, watching the other
boys and trying to learn by aping them.
(d) Narrator faced the misadventure of drowning into the swimming pool when a big bruiser of a boy
threw him into the pool just for fun.
(Para-2) It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety, and before I touched
bottom my lungs were ready to burst. But when my feet hit bottom I summoned all my strength and
made what I thought was a great spring upwards. I imagined I would bob to the surface like a cork.

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Instead, I came up slowly. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water – water that had a dirty
yellow tinge to it. I grew panicky. I reached up as if to grab a rope and my hands clutched only at
water. I was suffocating. I tried to yell but no sound came out. Then my eyes and nose came out of
the water but not my mouth.
Questions :
(a) Nine feet were more than ninety, why ?
(b) What did the narrator do when he reached to the bot-tom ?
(c) What happened when he came upwards ?
(d) What did he try when came outside the water first ?
Answers :
(a) Nine feet were more than ninety because the narrator didn’t know swimming and it was his first
experience into the router.
(b) The narrator when reached to the bottom shrouded all his strength and made a great spring
upwards, but all in vain.
(c) Though he imagined that he would bob to the surface lice a cork but he came up storoly, saw

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nothing but water-water with a dirty yellow tinge everywhere.
(d) After outside the water first, he grow panicky tried to grab a rope but clutched only at water, tried
to yell but no sound out.
(Para-3) And then sheer, stark terror seized me, terror that knows no understanding, terror that
knows no control, terror that no one can understand who has not experienced it. I was shrieking
under water. I was paralysed under water—stiff, rigid with fear. Even the screams in my throat were
frozen. Only my heart and the pounding in my head, said that I was still alive.
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Questions :
(a) What do you understand by sheer, stark terror ?
(b) Why and how the writer was paralysed ?
(c) How did the narrator come to know that he was alive ?
(d) Name the chapter and it’s writer.
Answers :
(a) Sheer, stark terror here signifies that a terror that is straight, complete and absolutely violent. A
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terror that can’t be overcome easily.
(b) The writer was paralysed because he was under water as he was thrown by a big boy and nearly
drowning and due to fear he was unable to even move his legs and hands.
(c) Feeling the fast heart beats and only the pounding in his head, made him realize that he was still
alive.
(d) The chapter’s name is ‘Deep Water’ written by William Douglas.
(Para-4) The next I remember I was lying on my stomach be-side the pool, vomiting. The chap that
threw me in was saying, “But I was only fooling”. Someone said, “The kid nearly died. Be all right now.
VB

Let’s carry him to the locker room.”

Several hours later, I walked home. I was weak and trembling. I shook and cried when I lay on my bed.
I couldn’t eat that night. For days a haunting fear was in my heart. The slightest exertion upset me,
making me wobbly in the knees and sick to my stomach. I never went back to the pool. I feared
water, I avoided it whenever I could.
Questions :
(a) What was the chap’s reaction on his deed ?
(b) Why, when laying on the bed, narrator cried ?
(c) What physical problems did he face after recovery ?
(d) How did he take that incident ?
Answers:
(a) The chap who threw him in was simply saying, “But I was only fooling”. He was very normal and
taking that fatal incident so ordinarily.
(b) When laying on the bed, narrator cried because he was very weak, trembling and having an

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intense pain in his stomach.

(c) After recovery, he felt very weak, couldn’t stand as he was trembling, couldn’t eat the food, even
the slightest exertion upset him, making him wobbly in the knees and sick to his stomach.
(d) After that incident, he never went back to the pool, he feared water and avoided it whenever he
could.
(Para-5) The experience had a deep meaning for me, as only those who have known stark terror and
conquered it can appreciate. In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death, as
Roosevelt knew when he said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Because I had experienced both the
sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce, the will to live somehow grew in
intensity.
At last I felt released free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear.
Questions :
(a) What place that experience had in Douglas’s life ?
(b) What did Roosevelt say ?
(c) What type of experience did Douglas have ?

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(d) When did the writer feel released ?
Answers :
(a) That experience had a deep meaning in his life and only those who have known stark terror and
conquered it can appreciate.
(b) Roosevelt said, “All we have to fear is fear itself’.
(c) Douglas had the experience of both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can
produce.
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(d) At last, the writer felt released free to walk the trails and climb the peaks.

Theme
THE RATTRAP
By Selma Lagerlof

The story is about an old disheartened peddler who is taken in and shown generosity by a young
woman. Her generosity and kindness change his bitter attitude towards life. The peddler is a man
who has fallen upon misfortune and now resorts to selling rattraps, begging, and thievery. He is very
CA
pessimistic about the world around him and sees the world as merely a “rat trap”. He believes that
society tempts us with riches and fine things, and when we accept, we are caught in the trap and are
left with nothing.
The story conveys a universal message that the essential goodness in a human being can be
awakened through love, respect, kindness and understanding. It highlights the human predicament.
Material benefits are the traps that most human beings are prone to fall into. Human beings do have
a tendency to redeem themselves from dishonest ways as does the peddler at the end of the story.
Setting
VB

This story is set amidst the mines of Sweden, rich in iron ore which figure large in the history of that
country. The story is told somewhat in the manner of a fairy tale.
Characters
1. A peddlar with rattraps.
2. An Oldman: A crofter
3. Master Smith in the Ramsjo Iron Mill in Sweden
4. Helpers in the Mill: blacksmiths
5. Iron mill owner
6. Edla Willmansson – daughter of the Iron Mill owner.
Summary in detail
A rattrap peddler went around selling small rattraps. His clothes were in rags. His cheeks were
hollow. He had the look of a starved man. He made wire traps. He begged the material from stores
and big farms. Sometimes he resorted to begging and a little stealing to survive. The world had
never been kind to him. He had no home, no shelter.

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The peddler led a lonely life. One day while he was thinking about his rattraps, an idea struck him. He
thought that the world itself was a rattrap. As soon as anybody touched it, the trap closed on them.
He was amused to think of some people who were already trapped, and some others who were
trying to reach the bait in the trap.
It was a cold evening in December. He reached a cottage on the roadside. He knocked at the door
and asked for a night’s shelter. The owner of the cottage was a lonely old crofter. He wanted
someone to talk to. He welcomed the peddler. He gave the peddler hot porridge to eat, and tobacco
to smoke. Then they played cards. The crofter was generous as well as trustful. He told the peddler
that he had a cow and sold her milk to a creamery. He also told him that he received thirty kronors as
payment the previous month. Then he took down a pouch and showed him the money. Then he put
the money back i
n the pouch and hung it on a nail in the window frame. Next morning the peddler left. The crofter
locked his cottage, and went away.
The peddler came back to the cottage. He had been tempted to steal the money that hung like a bait
in the window frame. He smashed the pane and stole the money. Now he thought it was not safe to

DU
walk along the public highway. So he went into the woods. There he walked and walked but could
not get out. He moved in circles. He was tired. He looked upon the forest as a rattrap in which he
was caught. He thought his end was near. He lay down to die.
After a while he heard regular thumping of a hammer’s strokes. He knew the sound was coming
from Ramsjo Ironworks. He stood up and walked in the direction of the sound. He opened the gate
of the ironworks and went into the forge. The owner came on his nightly rounds and noticed the
ragged wretch near the furnace. The ironmaster looked intently at the peddler’s face. He felt sure
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that the peddler was one of his old regimental comrades, Captain von Stable who had fallen on evil
days. He invited the peddler to go home with him for Christmas. But the peddler was alarmed. He
thought it was risky for him to accept the offer. He firmly declined it. The ironmaster went home.
The ironmaster sent his daughter Edla to persuade the peddler to come home. She spoke gently to
him. The peddler felt confidence in her and agreed to go with her. On the way he was sorry to have
stolen the crofter’s money that had put him in a trap.
The ironmaster was happy to have his old regimental comrade under his roof. He planned to feed
CA
him well and give him some respectable work. The servant cut the peddler’s hair, shaved him ad
bathed him. The peddler appeared wearing one of the ironmaster’s fine suits. But when the
ironmaster looked at him in daylight, he felt that he had made a mistake. The peddler was not
captain von Stable. He thought that the man had deceived him. He even thought of handing him to
the sheriff.
The peddler said that he had not pretended to be what he was not. He had not been willing to go to
the ironmaster’s house. Even then he was willing to put on his rags and leave. He also told the
ironmaster that the world was a rattrap, and he himself might one day be tempted by a big bait and
VB

get caught in the trap. The ironmaster told him to leave at once.
Edla did not like her father’s asking the poor peddler to leave. She thought it was unfair to turn away
the man whom they had invited. She wanted to have the joy of entertaining a homeless wanderer on
Christmas Eve. She stopped the peddler and her father agreed to it.
Edla served food to the peddler. He was given Christmas presents which he thankfully received. Edla
told him that her father’s suit that the peddler was wearing was also a Christmas present. She
assured him that he would be welcomed again if he liked to spend the next Christmas Eve with them.
Next morning the ironmaster and his daughter went to church. There they learned that the peddler
was a thief. He had robbed the crofter. The ironmaster was sure that the peddler must have made
away with their silver. Edla was dejected. But when they reached home they learned that the peddler
had left. But he had taken away nothing. On the other hand he had left a Christmas present for Edla.
Edla opened the present. It was a tiny rattrap. Edla was happy to see that the peddler had left the
crofter’s money behind. There was a letter also. It was addressed to Edla. He thanked her for her
kindness. He wanted to repay her kindness. So he had left the crofter’s money and had requested

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her to return it to the crofter. He said he had been raised to captain. That was why he could come out
of the rattrap in which he had been caught. He signed the letter Captain von Stable.

Main points
1. ‘The Rattrap’ is a story that underlies a belief that essential goodness in human beings can be
aroused through sympathy, understanding and love.
2. Once a man went around selling small rattraps but he took to begging and thievery to keep his
body and soul together.
3. One day he was struck with the idea – the whole world is a big rattrap and it offers riches as bait.
4. People let themselves be tempted to touch the bait then it closes in on them bringing an end to
everything.
5. One dark evening the rattrap peddler sought shelter in an old crofter’s roadside cottage.

DU
6. The old man gave him food, tobacco they enjoyed the card game too.
7. Next morning the peddler stole away his thirty kroners.
8. The rattrap peddler escaped into a big confusing forest and got lost.
9. While resting on the ground he recollected his idea that the world is a rattrap and thought his end
was near.
10. Hearing a thumping sound he reached Ramsjo ironworks for a night shelter.
11. The owner came on his nightly rounds and noticed the ragged wretch near the furnace.
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12. He took him as an old acquaintance ‘Nils Olof.’
13. He invited him to stay with them for Christmas but the stranger declined the offer.
14. His daughter Edla Willmansson persuaded to go home with him.
15. She requested him to stay for Christmas Eve only.
16. On his way to the Manor House the peddler thought that he had thrown himself into the lion’s
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den.
17. The next day in broad day light the iron master realized the stranger was not captain and
threatened to call the sheriff.
18. Edla pleaded for him and asked him to stay back.
19. Christmas Eve at Ramsjo was as usual and the stranger slept and slept.
20. She made him understand that if he wanted rest and peace he would be welcome next Christmas
also. This had a miraculous effect on him.
VB

21. Next morning they went for early church service leaving behind the guest who was asleep.
22. They learnt at church that a rattrap peddler had robbed an old crofter.
23. Edla becomes very upset.
24. They reach home immediately and learn that the peddler had already left but had not taken
anything at all with him. Instead, he had left a small packet for the young girl as a Christmas present.
25. She opens the packet and finds a rattrap, three wrinkled ten-Kronor notes and also a letter with a
request to return the Kroners to the crofter.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Ans. The peddler went around selling rattraps that he had made himself from wire he had begged or
stolen. One day the thought occurred to him that the world was very much like a rattrap which
offered men shelter, food, clothing and other comforts for entrapping them.
Q2. What was the peddler’s philosophy about rattrap? Why did it amuse him?
Ans. The peddler’s philosophy was that the whole world is a rattrap with several baits in it. As one is

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tempted to bait and touches it, the door is closed and everything comes to an end like in a rattrap.
The thought amused him because he has so far been selling rattrap; but not fallen in this world’s
rattrap.
Q3. What kind of host was the old crofter?
Ans. The old crofter was an affectionate and generous host. He warmly welcomed the peddler as he
got someone to talk to in his loneliness. He served him porridge for his supper and offered a pipe
with tobacco roll to smoke and finally played with him Mjolis till bedtime.
Q4. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning? Is it justified? Give reasons.
Ans. The rattrap peddler draws reader’s sympathy because of his poverty. The author’s description
of his clothes and appearance like –“his clothes are in rags, his cheeks are sunken and hunger
gleams his eyes” and his resorting to begging and petty thievery to keep his body and soul together
evoke reader’s sympathy.
Q5. Who do you think was at fault-the ironmaster or the peddler? Give two reasons.
Ans. I think the ironmaster was at fault because it was he who invited the tramp to his house for the
Christmas thinking him to be his old acquaintance; but on knowing he was not his acquaintance, he

DU
could not oppose his daughter’s decision to offer him Christmas cheer.
Q6. Why was the peddler grateful to the ironmaster and his daughter?
Ans. The peddler was grateful to the ironmaster and his daughter as they empowered him to release
himself from the world’s rattrap through their selfless hospitality, love, sympathy, compassion, and
understanding.
Q7. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Ans. The peddler was surprised that the crofter not only invited him into his cottage but also shared
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his porridge with him. He also talked to him, played cards with him and shared confidences with him.
Q8. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Ans. The crofter was alone, and had no wife or child and was perhaps lonely. Therefore he became
happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness.
Q9. Why did he show the thirty kroner to the peddler?
Ans. The crofter told the peddler that he was comfortable and had earned a reasonable sum of
money from his extraordinary cow that gave a lot of milk and he had earned thirty kroner last month.
CA
The peddler expressed disbelief and thus the crofter showed him the money.
Q10. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Ans. The peddler abused the trust reposed in him by the crofter because as soon as he could, he
came back, opened the window of the cottage and stole the crofter’s hard-earned money.
Q11. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Ans. Having stolen the crofter’s money, the peddler was forced to stay off the road and walk in the
forest. When night fell, he could not see where he was headed to and seemed to be walking round
and round the same spot. He was tired and in his frustration felt that he was caught in the trap.
VB

Q12. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Ans. The ironmaster mistook the peddler to be an old acquaintance, Nils Olof, a comrade from the
regiment. It appeared to the ironmaster that the man had fallen on bad days and so he invited him to
his home, especially as it was Christmas time.
Q13. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
Ans. The peddler declined his invitation, as he was afraid of being detected as the thief. He felt that
by accepting the invitation to go to the ironmaster’s house, he was voluntarily walking into the lion’s
den.
Q14. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
Ans. Edla Willmansson came to invite the peddler. She requested him to come home with such an
apparent and genuine kindness that the peddler could not refuse. She instilled a certain confidence
in him.
Q15. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
Ans. Edla noticed that the peddler was afraid and she at once concluded that he was either a thief or

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had escaped from jail. She told her father that it was strange that his regimental comrade had fallen
on such bad days and also that he had nothing about him to show that he had once been an
educated man.
Q16. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?
Ans. The ironmaster had first seen the tramp in the dim glow of the furnace. He had taken him to be
his old regimental comrade, but when the tramp had come down cleanly shaven and dressed in a
borrowed suit of the master, the ironmaster at once realized that it had been a case of mistaken
identity. He had taken the tramp to be his old regimental comrade.
Q17. What did the peddler say in his defence when it was clear that he was not the person the
ironmaster had thought he was?
Ans. The peddler pleaded that it was not his fault. He had never pretended to be anything but only a
poor trader. He only begged that he should be allowed to stay for the night near the forge. Since he
had done them no harm, so he was ready to put on his old rags again and would leave at once.
Q18. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
Ans. Edla was a kind woman at heart and understood how difficult the peddler’s life had been. She

DU
realized how hard it must have been for him to be homeless and to have had to wander from place
to place. She empathised with him and was thus kind to him even though she knew who he was.
Q19. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Ans. The ironmaster and Edla had expected that the peddler would have made away with all their
silver and were indeed pleasantly surprised to find that he had not stolen anything but had left the
thirty stolen kroners in a rattrap along with a letter. He requested that the stolen money be returned
to its rightful owner and stated in his letter that having been treated with such dignity and having had
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his status elevated to that of a captain, he felt that he could not embarrass them.
Q20. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Ans. The pedellar was touched by the kind treatment Edla gave him. Edla, despite knowing his real
identity, treated him like a captain. Now it was his turn to show her that the guest she had honoured
was as honourable as the captain and not merely a petty thief. Latent goodness of his heart
awakened, he behaved in a dignified manner. Signed himself as Captain von Stahle.
Long Answer Type Questions
CA
Q1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the
ironmaster and his daughter?
Ans. The peddler feels absolutely no compunction about accepting the hospitality of the crofter and
then robbing him of his hard-earned kroner. He enjoys playing cards with his host all evening and
then makes away with his money the next morning. When the ironmaster having mistaken him for a
regimental comrade invites him to his house to share his Christmas lunch, he feels a sense of
entrapment, having the stolen money on his person, and thus declines the invitation. He feels that to
accept the hospitality of the ironmaster would be like voluntarily throwing himself into the lion’s den.
VB

However, he does not at the outset disclose his true identity because he hopes to profit from the
mistake thinking perhaps a few kroner would come his way but now he only wants to rest near the
forge at night and quietly slip away in the morning. The kindness of the ironmaster’s daughter
touches the tramp’s heart making him feel more worthy. She makes him feel comfortable and raises
his self-esteem. Even after his true identity has been discovered, she feels sympathetic towards him
and convinces her father to let him stay and share Christmas cheer with them. She does not for a
moment doubt his integrity and the tramp repays this faith and kindness by leaving behind the stolen
kroner to be returned to the rightful owner along with one of his rattraps as a present and a letter
addressed to the daughter thanking her for elevating his status to that of a captain and for the
chance to redeem his mistake.
Q2. What are the instances in the story that show that the character of the ironmaster is different
from that of his daughter in many ways?
Ans. The ironmaster is a man of power whose ambition was to ensure that good iron was shipped
out. He believed in closely supervising the work at the ironworks to make sure that all was in order.

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When he saw the tramp, he was not overcome with sympathy. His arrogance came to the fore and
he commenced to give him a piece of his mind regarding his unwise decision of not resigning at the
appropriate time. His invitation to the tramp to come to his house stemmed more from a sense of
superiority rather than true philanthropy. He was most indignant to discover that the tramp had
deceived him regarding his true identity. The ironmaster’s daughter sensed something amiss on her
very first meeting with the tramp. She was not convinced that he had ever been in the army and
when she was proved right, her reaction was not one of indignation but one of sympathy,
understanding and kindness. She realised how he must always have to contend with being turned
away and not being made welcome anywhere and decided that she would give him that opportunity
of feeling secure and welcome in their home. She had more faith in him than did her father and when
the tramp did nothing but eat and sleep, she was able to appreciate the fact that he had probably
never felt so secure in his life. She even convinced her father to gift him the suit that was loaned to
the tramp as a Christmas gift.
Q3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’
behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.

DU
Ans. The peddler, walking along on a winters evening, is able to avail the unconditional warmth and
hospitality of the owner of the cottage. The host shares his food, his home and his confidences,
showing the stranger the money that he had made. The tramp, the next day, feels no remorse for
stealing the money and walking away. When he is seeking shelter from the cold and has the
opportunity to spend the night at the ironmaster’s house, he declines as he has the stolen money
with him and feels that he will be walking into the lion’s den. However, when the same invitation is
extended by the ironmaster through his daughter, the tramp accepts as her kindness filters through.
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Left alone in the ironmaster’s house, the tramp has every opportunity to make away with the
valuables. On the contrary, the tramp goes away leaving behind the stolen money to be returned to
the rightful owner along with a rattrap as a present for the ironmaster’s daughter.
Q4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Ans. The peddler had lived a life of privation and constant rejection. It had made him cynical and
embittered. Self-preservation had become his sole objective and he could not sense the difference
between right and wrong. He had lost his sense of self-worth, having lived in penury with no home to
CA
call his own and not even a name to answer to. He had to resort to begging and petty thieving to
survive and life offered no pleasure at all. The sadness and monotony of his life had convinced him
of the fact that life was like a huge rattrap and just as the cheese and pork in the traps that he made
were the bait, so also the riches, joys, shelter and the food that life offered were the bait. As soon as
anyone let himself be tempted, it closed in around him and all came to an end. He took pleasure in
thinking of all the acquaintances who had been caught in this trap. However, the meeting with the
ironmaster’s daughter was the turning point in his life. The kindness, the concern and the
understanding that she showed him touched the core of his heart and transformed his way of
VB

thinking.
Q5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
Ans. The tramp during his wanderings hit upon the thought that just as the cheese and the pork are
the bait in the rattraps that he makes so also the joys, the warmth, the shelter and the comforts that
life offers are the bait to trap humans in the huge rattrap of the world. It gave him immense pleasure
to ruminate about all his acquaintances who had fallen into the trap. Though these were the
thoughts of an embittered man who envied those whose lot was better than his, yet the metaphor of
the trap holds some truth when one thinks about life. The more one has, the more one wants and
sometimes the reasons for wanting those things become secondary to the wants themselves.
Jealousy and rivalry are the corollary of material acquisitions and the only motivation to possess
things is to outdo another. The rattrap of the world entraps us and we are so occupied with chasing
the state of fulfilment that ever evades us that we are again engulfed in despair and discontentment.
Q6. The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How does this serve in
lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us?

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Ans. The peddler, with his subtle sense of humour was able to make an equation between the
rattraps that he made and the world, which he likened to a huge rattrap, offering bait and then
closing in, round those who fell for them. This was his way of consoling himself that no matter what
his lot, he was better off than those who fell for the worldly bait of joy, warmth, shelter and other
such comforts. This makes the sad, the weary and melancholy tramp very human and real. He
manages to arouse the sympathy of the reader despite his thieving ways and his dead conscience
for he makes the reader examine the merits of self-preservation. His preoccupation with remaining
undetected as the thief who has made away with the thirty hard-earned kroner of the crofter makes
him refuse the luxury of spending Christmas at the fine house of the ironmaster. The kindness with
which the ironmaster s daughter treats him touches the core of his hitherto hardened heart. The
restoration of his dignity results in his transformation into a responsible human being, sensitive,
courteous, grateful and gracious.
Q7. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so?
Is the sympathy justified?
Ans. The peddler earns the sympathy of the reader because on every occasion when his woes seem

DU
to be ending, he is assailed by fresh problems, as if caught in a rattrap with no escape. After
receiving hospitality form a crofter, he is assailed by feelings of guilt as he stoops to temptation and
steals the crofter’s earnings. Paradoxically, he loses his way in a forest even though he is a
vagabond who has always found his way through the woods. At the smithy when he is mistaken for
an acquaintance of the iron master he plays along, only to be discovered subsequently and being
threatened with imprisonment. When Edla offers him unconditional love and hospitality, he does truly
reform. He rids himself of the stolen wealth and pr
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esents the girl with the kroner in a symbolic rattrap, and becomes a carefree and satisfied individual.
Q8. The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
(a) Festivities are not complete without bonding with other human beings. Thus the ironmaster takes
home the peddler mistaking him for his former acquaintance Captain von Stahle because he cannot
bear to leave an acquaintance stranded on Christmas Eve.
(b)The daughter and father welcome the stranger as they like to have company to share their joys on
Christmas.
CA
(c) Even after finding out that the stranger is not the former acquaintance, the daughter insists on his
staying with them because of the need for human company.
(d) The story illustrates that lonely people are willing to take in any human beings because of the
innate need for human company. Thus the crofter welcomed the vagabond under his roof.
(e) The confession of the man to stealing or acquiescing to a false identity did not alter the
generosity of his hosts as they were hungry for company at all costs.
Q9. The story is both entertaining and philosophical.
Ans. (a) The story is entertaining because of the many sudden twists in the storyline that is
VB

maintained throughout the content. Each time, the stranger seemed to have overcome his troubles,
he met with fresh hurdles.
(b) It is entertaining because of the differences in the locales where the various incidents occur, and
the dialogue of the characters. The scene of mistaken identities reveals this point.
(c) The story maintains an air of suspense right through and even the concluding part of the story is
a startling one.
(d) The story is philosophical because it poses an open-ended query as to whether our lives are
conditioned by our fate or are a direct follow-through of our own follies, caught as we are in a giant
rattrap.
(e) It also brings to the fore that human love, in the form of hospitality when given unconditionally,
brings about real change as was revealed through the character of the ironmaster’s daughter
towards the peddler.
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow :
(Para-1) The old man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and tobacco.

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The guest was informed at once that in his days of prosperity his host had been a crofter at Ramajo
Ironworks and had worked on the land. Now that he was no longer able to do day labour, it was his
cow which supported him. Yes, that bossy was extraordinary. She could give milk for the creamery
every day, and last month, he had received all of thirty comor in payment.
Questions :
(a) What did the old man offer to the paddler and why ?
(b) What was old man’s profession ?
(c) Who supported the old man and how ?
(d) What payment did he receive last month ?
Answers :
(a) The old man offered porridge and tobacco to the paddler because he (the old man) was a
generous man and lived alone.
(b) After hearing the thumbing, he thought that those were the hammer strokes from an iron mill and
there must be people near by.
(c) After having that thought in his mind, he summoned all his strength, got up and staggered in the

DU
direction of the sound.
(d) ‘The Rattrap’ is the chapter and ‘Selma Lagerlof is the writer.
(Para-2) She looked at him compassionately, with her heavy eyes, and then she noticed that the man
was afraid. “Ei-ther he has stolen something or else he has escaped from jail,” she thought, and
added quickly, “You may be sure, Captain, that you will be allowed to leave as just as freely as you
came. Only please, stay with us over Christmas Eve.”
Questions :
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(a) Who looked whom and why ?
(b) What did she think after seeing the paddler ?
(c) Why did she come there ?
(d) Why did she add quickly: ‘You may be Christmas Eve.’
Answers :
(a) The girl, the daughter of the ironmaster, Edla Willmansson looked the paddler assuming him as a
Captain.
CA
(b) After seeing the paddler, she thought, “Either he has . stolen something or else he has escaped
from, jail.”
(c) She came there to carry the paddler with her to their home for celebrating Christmas Eve because
her father wanted to do so.
(d) She added quickly : ‘You may be ‘Christmas Eve’, because she wanted the paddler to confirm that
he would not be bounded to stay at their house for long.
(Para-3) After that, Christmas Eve at Ramsjo passed just as it always had. The stranger did not
cause any trouble be-cause he did nothing but sleep. The whole forenoon he lay on the sofa in one of
VB

the guest rooms and slept at one stretch. At noon they woke him up so that he could have his share
of the good Christmas fare, but after that he slept again. It seemed as though for many years he had
not been able to sleep as quietly and safely as here at Ramsjo.
Questions :
(a) Why did the stranger not cause any trouble ?
(b) Where was he sleeping continuously ?
(c) What happened at noon ?
(d) Why was he sleeping too much at Ramsjo ?
Answers :
(a) The stranger did not cause any trouble because he, whole day, did nothing but sleep (only).
(b) In one of the guest rooms, on the sofa, he was sleep-ing continuously and at one stretch.
(c) At noon they woke him up so that he could have his share of the good Christmas fare, but after
that he slept again.
(d) It seemed as though for many years he had not been able to sleep as quietly and safely as here at

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Ramsjo.
(Para-4) The wagon had hardly stopped at the front steps when the ironmaster asked the valet
whether the stranger was still there. He added that he had heard at church that the man was a thief.
The valet answered that the fellow had gone and that he had not taken anything with him at all. On
the contrary, he had left behind a little package which Miss Willmansson was to be kind enough to
accept as a Christmas present.
Questions :
(a) What did the ironmaster ask the valet ?
Ob) What was the news at church ?
(c) What was the answer of the valet ?
(d) What did the paddler left behind and why ?
Answers:
(a) The ironmaster asked the valet whether the stranger was still there.
(b) At church, there was the news of theft at Crofter’s house and the thief was that paddler who
stayed in ironmaster’s house.

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(c) The valet answered that the fellow had gone and that he had not taken anything with him at all.
(d) The paddler left behind a little package becausd’in this way he wanted to thank Miss
Willmansson and gift her the Christmas present.
INDIGO
By Louis Fischer

About the author

Louis Fischer, the son of a fish peddler, was born in Philadelphia on 29 February 1896. After studying
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at the Philadelphia School of Pedagogy from 1914 to 1916, he became a school teacher. He served
as a volunteer in the British Army but he made his career as a journalist and worked for different
newspapers. Louis Fischer taught about the Soviet Union at Princeton University until his death on
January 15, 1970.
The famous American journalist Mr. Louis Fischer came to India in May 1942. He was in India for
two months. The world war was in full swing. In the scorching heat of June he spent one week with
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Gandhi in his Ashram. Gandhi gave him one hour daily. He could also talk with Gandhi during other
activities such as eating, walking, etc. Fisher wrote a book “seven days with the Mahatma”. In this
famous book he has described the Ashram life and Gandhi’s likes and dislikes in a very touching way.
He wrote that he never felt afraid in Gandhi’s presence. His association with Gandhi was warm,
healthy, full of joy and cordial. He found Gandhi a cultured, able and always refreshing and sweet
person. Louis Fisher has described the wonders of Gandhi’s personality in the book.
Introduction
In this story, Louis describes Gandhi’s struggle for the poor peasants of Champaran who were the
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sharecroppers with the British planters. They led a miserable life and were forced to grow indigo
according to an agreement. They suffered a great injustice due to the landlord system in Bihar.
Gandhi waged a war for about a year against their atrocities and brought justice to the poor
peasants.
Characters
Raj Kumar Shukla: A sharecropper
Charles Freer Andrews: A follower of Gandhi
Kasturba: Wife of Gandhi
Devdas: youngest son of Gandhi
Summary
This story describes Gandhi’s struggle for the poor peasants of Champaran. In those days most of
arable land in the Champaran district was divided into large estate owned by Englishmen and worked
by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was Indigo. The landlords compelled all tenants to
plant 15% of their Indigo and surrender the entire Indigo harvest as rent. This was done by long term
contract. The British didn’t need the Indigo crop any more when Germany had developed synthetic

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Indigo. Just to release the peasants from the 15% agreement they demanded compensation. Some
illiterate peasants agreed but the others refused.
One of the sharecroppers named Raj Kumar Shukla met Gandhi in this regard and compelled him to
visit Champaran because of the long term injustice of landlords. Then the two of them boarded a
train for the city of Patna in Bihar. From there Shukla led him to the house of a lawyer named
Rajendra Prasad. Mahatma Gandhi’s humble and simple attire made the servants mistook him as
another poor peasant. He surveyed before taking any vital step in order to get those peasants justice.
It was the time when British government punished those who in any condition gave shelter to
national leaders or protesters.
Gandhi’s arrival and the nature of his mission spread like a wildfire. Many lawyers and peasant
groups came in large numbers to support him. The lawyers accepted the fact that their charges were
high and for a poor peasant it will be irksome. Gandhi rebuked them for collecting big fee from the
sharecroppers. He stressed on counseling as this would give the peasants enough confidence to
fight their fear. He managed to get justice after a yearlong battle for the peasants. He also made
arrangements for the education, health, and hygiene for the families of the poor peasants. He gave

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them the lesson of self-reliance.
Main points
1. Raj Kumar Shukla, a poor sharecropper wished to meet Gandhi to complain about the injustice of
the landlord system in Champaran.
2. Shukla followed Gandhi everywhere and begged him to fix a date to come to his district.
3. Gandhi was much impressed and fixed a schedule.
4. Gandhi and Shukla reached Patna to meet Dr. Rajendra Prasad but he was out of town.
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5. Then decided to go to Muzzafarpur first to get detailed information about Champaran
sharecroppers.
6. Sent telegram to J B Kriplani and stayed in Prof. Malkani’s home – a government servant.
7. Indians afraid to show sympathy to the supporters of home rule.
8. The news of Gandhi’s arrival spread- sharecroppers gathered in large number to meet their
champion.
9. Gandhi chided the Muzzafarpur lawyers for taking high fee from poor sharecroppers.
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10. Champaran district was divided into estate owned by English people, Indians were only tenant
farmers.
11. Landlords compelled tenants to plant 15% of their land with indigo and surrender their entire
harvest as rent.
12. In the meantime Germany had developed synthetic indigo –British landlords freed the Indian
farmers from the 15% arrangement but asked them to pay compensation.
13. Many signed, some resisted, engaged lawyers, landlords hired thugs.
14. Gandhi reached Champaran- visited the secretary of the British landlord association to get the
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facts but denied as he was an outsider.

15. Gandhi went to the British Official Commissioner who asked him to leave Trihut. Gandhi
disobeyed, went to Motihari the capital of Champaran where a vast multitude greeted him, continued
his investigations.
16. Visited maltreated villagers – stopped by the police superintendent but disobeyed the order.
17. Motihari black with peasants – spontaneous demonstrations – Gandhi released without bail –
Civil Disobedience triumphed.
18. Gandhi agreed to 25% refund by the landowners, it symbolized the surrender of the prestige.
19. Gandhi worked hard towards social economic reforms.
20. Gandhi taught a lesson of self-reliance.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why was Gandhiji impressed with Rajkumar Shukla’s tenacity and determination?
Ans. Raj Kumar Shukla, a poor Sharecropper from Champaran requested Gandhi in Congress
Session in Lucknow to fix a date to visit Champaran where the sharecroppers were subjected to

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injustice. Till Gandhi fixed a date, he did not leave him rather he accompanied him wherever he went.
Gandhi was impressed by his tenacity and determination and finally agreed to go there from Calcutta.
Q2. Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers who represented the interests of group of sharecroppers of
Champaran?
Ans. Gandhi chided the lawyers for collecting big fees from the sharecroppers to fight their case in
law courts. He felt taking their case to law courts would do little good when they were so crushed
and fear stricken. So his first priority was to free them from fear.
Q3. What were the conditions of sharecroppers of Champaran?
Ans. The peasants of Champaran were tenants of British landlords. Under long term sharecropping
arrangement, they were growing Indigo on 15 percent of their holding and surrendering the harvest
as rent to the British landlord. But when Indigo price fell due to synthetic Indigo developed in
Germany, the landlords obtained agreement from the peasants to pay them compensation which
some of the peasants resisted and fought their case in court.
Q4. What made the British realize that the Indians could challenge their might hither to
unquestioned?

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Ans. The spontaneous demonstration around the court house by the peasants of Motihari on
knowing that Gandhi was in trouble was the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British
which made the British realize that now the Indians can challenge their might.
Q5. How did Gandhi make the peasants fearless and self-reliant?
Ans. Gandhi made the peasants fearless by letting them know about their rights, fighting their case
and by obtaining the refund of compensation made to the British landlords who were behaving as
lords above the law.
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Q6. Why is Raj Kumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?
Ans. Raj Kumar Shukla was a poor, illiterate sharecropper from Champaran who having heard of
Gandhi came to Lucknow to seek his assistance. He was illiterate but resolute. He wished to bring
the plight of the sharecroppers of Champaran to the notice of Gandhi and followed him everywhere
till he finally agreed to go to Champaran.
Q7. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Ans. Gandhi was committed to accompany Raj Kumar Shukla to Champaran to address the
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tribulations of the sharecroppers of that area. En route to Champaran from Calcutta, Raj Kumar
Shukla made Gandhi stop in Patna to meet a lawyer called Rajendra Prasad who later on became the
first President of India. The servants thought that Gandhi was another peasant as he had come with
an illiterate peasant.
Q8. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers?
Ans. Gandhi agreed to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers just to break the deadlock.
Gandhi felt that the amount was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to
surrender a part of the money and along with it a part of their pride.
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Q9. How was Gandhi able to influence the lawyers? Give instances.
Ans. Gandhi’s sincerity of purpose, convincing argumentation and a logical approach deeply
influenced the lawyers. Chiding them for over-charging the peasants, he encouraged them to court
arrest for the poor peasants’ cause, if he himself got imprisoned.
Q10. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home
rule’?
Ans. In the smaller localities, Indians were afraid to show sympathy with advocates of ‘Home Rule’.
Thus it was surprising for Gandhi that he received support from Professor J.B. Kripalani of the Arts
College of Muzzafarpur. He met him at the station with a large group of students and also housed
him for a couple of days.
Q11. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Ans. Freedom movement is the story of the contribution and sac
rifices of countless unknown and unsung heroes like Raj Kumar Shukla and other Champaran
sharecroppers. But for their active support and show of solidarity, the first victory of Civil

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Disobedience in India would not have been possible.

Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why was the share-cropping arrangement irksome? What was its fate?
Ans. Most of the cultivating land of Chaniparan district was divided into large estates owned by the
Englishmen. It was worked by Indian tenant peasants, for which they paid rent. Indigo was the chief
commerical crop. The English planters compelled all peasants to grow indigo in three-twentieths or
15 per cent of their land holdings. The entire indigo harvest was to be surrendered as rent to the
British landowners. The landlords came to know that Germany had developed synthetic indigo.
Thereupon they obtained agreement, from the share-croppers to pay them the compensation. This
share-cropping arrangement was irksome to the peasants. Some signed it willingly and those who
opposed engaged lawyers. The landowners hired thugs who forcefully collected the compensation
amount.
It was at this point Gandhi reached Champaran. Gandhi’s civil disobedience and peasants’
spontaneous demonstration compelled the Lieutenant Governor to appoint a commission of inquiry
into the share-croppers situation. The official inquiry concluded that the landlords had to refund the

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part of the money to the peasants. After a few years they abandoned their estates. The indigo share-
cropping disappeared completely.
Q2. How did Gandhiji win the battle of Champaran?
Ans. After his arrival at Motihari, Gandhiji used a house as the headquarter so that he can have
complete investigation for the share¬croppers. At that time there came a report about mal-treating a
peasant. Next morning Gandhiji went to see him but he was overtaken by the police superintendent’s
messanger with an order to come back. When he reached home, Gandhiji was asked to quit
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Champaran at once. Gandhiji signed the order but wrote to disobey the order. Next day Gandhi
appeared in the court. That night Gandhiji telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come with the influential
friends. When the peasants knew that Gandhiji was in trouble with the authorities, the court ground
of Motihari became black with peasants. The officials felt powerless and they had to seek his help.
The trial was postponed but Gandhiji protested the delay. In between he was left at liberty. Now
Gandhiji asked the prominent lawyers what they would do in case he was sent to jail. They told that
they would follow Gandhiji and give the court arrest. Gandhiji exclaimed: “The battle of Champaran is
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won”.
Q3. How did a visit to Champaran become a turning point in Gandhi’s life? How does this show
Gandhi’s love and concern for the common people of India?
Ans. After having clues from Raj Kumar Shukla, Gandhi reached Champaran to understand the
appalling conditions of share¬croppers. He found that the large estates were owned by the
Englishmen where Indians worked there as their tenant farmers and they paid 15% of their land yield.
After great tussel, Gandhi and the lawyers made the Britishers agree to refund 25 percent of the
money. Thus farmers became bold and got their rights. Within few years, the landlords left chains
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over the estates and the farmers became the owners. On finding backwardness of the people there,
he appointed volunteers to teach the villagers. Kasturba taught the ashram rules and personal
hygiene and community sanitation. A doctor helped the villagers in their health problems. The people
realized the value of self-reliance. The countrymen embarked on the task of national freedom
movement. It was a turning point in Gandhi’s life. All his activities were expressing his love and
concern for the Indians.
Q4. What were the steps taken by Gandhiji to solve the problems of social and cultural
backwardness in the villages of Champaran?
Ans. Gandhiji saw the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages. In order to
educate them he made an appeal for teachers. His two new young pupils Mahadev Desai, Narhari
Parikh and their wives offered to work. Several more teachers came from Bombay (Mumbai), Poona
and other distant parts of India. His youngest son Devdas and Mrs. Gandhi (Kasturba) also arrived
from the Ashram. Primary schools were also opened in six villages to teach children. Kasturba
taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation. In order to improve the

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miserable health conditions, Gandhiji got a doctor. He volunteered his services for six months.
Kasturba talked to the women to get rid of their filthy state of clothes. During his long stay at
Champaran, Gandhiji taught people self- reliance and freedom from the fear of the British. Thus he
paved the path for the freedom of India.
Q5. 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
unorganized labour. What values do we learn from Gandhi’s campaign to counter the present day
problems of exploitation?

Ans. Exploitation is a universal phenomenon. It exists since the origin of the society. The mighty
rules the poor. It makes a strata of society slaves and the other one rule them. Since the British rule,
this phenomenon is on. They exploited Indians in each and every possible way. Most noticeable was
the exploitation of the poor Indigo farmers. They had been getting nothing for their hard work.
Gandhiji taught them to speak against it using the power of truth, education, peace and non-violence.
The condition is even same in today’s scenario. Labourers are still being exploited in unorganized

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sectors. They Work for long hours but do not get paid according to labour laws. They need to remain
united, come ahead and fight for their rights. Legal paths should be followed to get what they
deserve. No one should be ready to work in unhygienic and improper working conditions.
Togetherness, strength and self-determination will definitely bring fruitful results to the labourers in
every field.
Read, the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
(Para-1) Under an ancient arrangement, the Champaran peas-ants were sharecroppers. Rajkumar
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Shukla was one of them. He was illiterate but resolute. He has come to the Congress session to
complain about the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar, and somebody had probably said,
“Speak to Gandhi.”
Questions :
(a) What was an ancient arrangement ?
(b) Who was Rajkumar Shukla ?
(c) Why Rajkumar Shukla had come to Congress session ?
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(d) What, somebody had said to Rajkumar Shukla ?
Answers:
(a) An ancient arrangement was sharecropping. The Champaran peasants were share croppers.
(b) Rajkumar Shukla was an illiterate but resolute peasant from Champaran, Bihar.
(c) Rajkumar Shukla had come to Congress session to complain about the injustice of the landlord
system in Bihar.
(d) Somebody had said to Rajkumar Shukla, “Speak to Gandhi.”
(Para-2) The news of Gandhi’s advent and of the nature of his mission spread quickly through
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Muzzafarpur and to Champaran. Sharecroppers from Champaran began arriv-ing on foot and by
conveyance to see their Champion. Muzzafarpur lawyers called on Gandhi to brief him; they
frequently represented peasant groups in court; they told him about their cases and reported the size
of their fee.
Questions :
(a) What was the news at Muzzafarpur ?
(b) How and why did the sharecroppers reach from Champaran ?
(c) What was the role of Muzzafarpur’s lawyers ?
(d) Name the chapter and the writer.
Answers:
(a) The news of Gandhi’s advent and of the nature of his mission was the news at Muzzafarpur.
(b) Sharecroppers from Champaran reached on foot and by Conveyance to see their Champion.
(c) Muzzafarpur’s lawyers were frequently representating peasant groups in court.
(d) ‘Indigo’ is the chapter written by ‘Louis Fischer’.

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(Para-3) A report came in that a peasant had been maltreated in a nearby village. Gandhi decided to
go and see; the next morning he started out on the back of an elephant. He had not proceeded far
when the police supritendent’s messanger overtook him and ordered him to return to town in his
carriage. Gandhi complied. The messenger drove Gandhi home where he served him with an official
notice to quit Champaran immediately. Gandhi signed a receipt for the notice and wrote on it that he
would disobey the order.
The consequence, Gandhi received a summons of appear in court the next day.
Questions :
(a) What report came and what did Gandhi decide ?
(b) What happened when Gandhi was on the way to the nearby village ?
(c) What did the messenger do with Gandhi ?
(d) What was Gandhi’s reaction to the notice and what consequence had he to face ?
Answers:
(a) A report came in that a peasant had been maltreated in a nearby village. Gandhi decided to go
and see.

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(b) When Gandhi was on the way to the nearby village, the police supertendent’s messenger
overtook him and ordered him to return to town in his carriage.
(c) The messenger served Gandhi with an official notice to quit Champaran immediately.
(d) Gandhi signed a receipt for the notice and wrote on it that he would disobey the order. In
consequence, Gandhi received a summons to appear in court the next day.
(Para-4) What about the injustice to the sharecroppers, Gandhi demanded. The lawyers withdrew to
consult. Rajendra Prasad has recorded the upshot of their consultations : “They thought, amongst
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themselves, that Gandhi was totally a stranger, and yet he was prepared to go to prision for the sake
of the peasants : If they, on the other hand, being not only residents of the adjoining districts but also
those who claimed to have served these peasants, should go home, it would be shameful desertion.”
Questions :
(a) What did Gandhi demand to the lawyers ?
(b) What was the reaction of the lawyers ?
(c) What was the conclusion of their consultations ?
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(d) What would be- shameful desertion ?
Answers:
(a) Ghandi demanded the lawyers about the injustice to the sharecroppers.
(b) The lawyers withdrew to consult.
(c) According to their consultations : they, if would go home being local residents, would surely be
shameful and a defeat to them in that war of injustice.
(d) If they should go home, claiming to have served those peasants, it would be shameful desertion.
(Para-5) They thought he would demand repayment in full of the money which they had illegally and
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deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers. He asked only 50 per cent. “There he seemed adamant,”
writes Reverend J.Z. Hodge, a British missionary in Champaran who observed the entire episode at
close range. “Thinking probably that he would not give way, the representative of the planters offered
to refund to the extent of 25 per cent, and to his amazement Mr. Gandhi took him at his word, thus
breaking the deadlock.”
Questions :
(a) What landlords had done with the sharecroppers ?
(b) Who was Reverend J. Z. Hodge ?
(c) What did the representative of the planters offer to refund ?
(d) How did Mr. Gandhi break the deadlock ?
Answers:
(a) Landlords had illegally and deceitfully extorted money from the sharecroppers.
(b) Reverend J. Z. Hodge was a British missionary in Champaran who observed the entire episode at
close range.

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(c) Representative of the planters offered to refund to the extent of 25 per cent only.
(d) Mr. Gandhi broke the deadlock by getting agree to the offer of 25 per cent refund by British
planters.
(Para-6) Gandhi never contented himself with large political or economic solutions. He saw the
cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages and wanted to do something about it
immediately. He appealed for teachers. Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh, two young men who had
just joined Gandhi as disciples, and their wives, volunteered for the work. Several more came from
Bombay, Poona and other distant parts of the land. Devdas, Gandhi’s youngest son, arrived from the
ashram and so did Mrs. Gandhi. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturbai taught the
ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation.
Questions :
(a) What did Gandhi observe in the Champaran villages ?
(b) Whom did Gandhi appeal and why ?
(c) From Gandhi’s family, who came to Champaran ?
(d) What did Kasturbai do to the people of Champaran ?

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Answers:
(a) Gandhi, in Champaran villages observed the cultural and social backwardness and wanted to do
something immediately
(b) Gandhi appealed Mahadev Desal and Narhari Parikh, two young teachers, to volunteer for the
work.
(c) Devdas, Gandhi’s youngest son and Mrs. Gandhi Casturbai came to Champaran.
(d) Kasturbal, Gandhi’s wife taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community
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sanitation to the people of Champaran.

Summary
POETS AND PANCAKES - Asokamitran

In this lesson, Asokamitran talks about Gemini Studios and all that helps in keeping it in the spotlight.
He starts by making a mention about ‘Pancakes’, the famous make-up brand which Gemini Studios
ordered in truckloads. He then talks about the plight of actors and actresses who have to bear too
many lights on their face while getting ready in the make-up room. The make-up department,
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according to him, used heaps of make-up to turn them into ugly-looking creatures. Shockingly, he
talks about the office boy of the make-up department whose task is to slap paint onto the faces of
players at the time of crowd-shooting. He was a poet and had joined the Studio in the hope of
becoming an actor, screenwriter, director or a lyricst. In those days, the author used to work inside a
cubicle and had the task of collecting newspaper cuttings which, according to others was
insignificant. Thus, office boy would come in time again, to bother him with his complaints. He was
well-convinced that the reason behind his misery was Subbu. He thought Subbu had an advantage
because he was born a Brahmin. Subbu was a resourceful man whose loyalty made him stand out.
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He was tailor-made for films and it was difficult to imagine film-making without him. He was very
welcoming and was known for his hospitality. Just like many others at the Gemini Studios, he also
did poetry. He worked for the story department which also consisted of a lawyer. People generally
called him the opposite of a legal practitioner. He was a logical and neutral man amidst a room full
of dreamers. Asokamitran then describes how Gemini Studios got a chance to host a group of
international performers called Moral Rearmament Army. Though the plots and messages were not
complex, their sets and costumes were near to perfection so much so that for many years, Tamil
plays displayed sunset and sunrise in a way inherited from ‘Jotham Valley’. Then another guest,
Stephen Spender comes to visit Gemini Studios. People had hardly heard of him and they couldn’t
even connect with him due to linguistic barriers. It was not until a few years later that Asokamitran
saw his name in a book and realised who he actually was.
Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
Question 1.
Why did the legal adviser lose his job in the Gemini Studios?

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Answer:
The legal adviser worked in the story department of the Gemini Studios which was later closed by
the boss. So, in this way, the legal adviser lost his job.
Question 2.
What do you understand by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make up?
Answer:
The makeup room was glowed by many incandescent lights which produced very fiery heat. Artists
had to face that extreme heat as they had to sit there for makeup. They were pitiful and could not do
anything in this regard.
Question 3.
What was the poet’s preconceived idea about communism?
Answer:
The poet opined that the communists were heart-less and godless persons. They did not love their
wife, children as well as relatives. They were always ready for violence and to tease the innocent
people.

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Question 4.
Who was Greta Garbo?
Answer:
Greta Garbo was a Swedish actress who received honorary Oscar for her unforgettable screen
performances. Guiness Book of World Records named her the most beautiful woman who ever lived
and she was also voted Best Silent Actress of the country.
Question 5.
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What do you infer of Robert Clive from the text?
Answer:
Robert Clive was Commander-in-Chief of British India who owned many buildings in Madras and
fought many battles and married a maiden in St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George in Madras.
Question 6.
What do you understand by national integration?
Answer:
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The national integration is a combination which consists of each and every, many castes, tribes and
communities in it. National Integration is above than any of the religion or thinking and it unites
various people from various places and cultures.
Question 7.
What is a hierarchy?
Answer:
Hierarchy is a process in which members of any of the organigation or society are ranked according
to relatives their, their status and authorities.
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Question 8.
What is the designation‘a office boy’ signify?
Answer:
The office boy is a person of no age limit who works in various offices and departments. He simply
does the ordinary or menial tasks as fetching the coffee or drinks, filing, introducing visitors to the
office etc.
Question 9.
What happened with Subbu’s literary achieve-ments? ‘
Answer:
Though, Subbu was a tailor made for films but he had a talent of poetry and writing novels. Later, as
his filmy career grew higher, his literary talent and achievements were overshadowed and dwarfed
by his own success.
Question 10.
What could be the reason of the shut of the story department?

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Answer:
The story department was comprised of many poets and writers and also a lawyer with them. But
later, it was closed. The possible reason for the shutting down of the story department may be its
uselessness or unbearable expenses or regular salary of the members and less output in return.
Question 11.
Which poets from England were known to the Gemini Studios’ staff ?
Answer:
The ordinary staff of the Gemini Studios knew or heard about Wordsworth and Tennyson; and the
more literate ones knew of Keats, Shelly and Byron or about Eliot. But they didn’t know about
Stephen Spender, who was invited at the Gemini Studios.
Question 12.
‘The God That Failed’ was the composition of six eminent men of letters. Describe.
Answer:
The God That Failed’ contained six separate essays of six renowned essayists about their journeys
into communism and their disillusioned return. Those six distinguished writers were : Andre Gide,

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Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender.
Question 13.
What does the writer mean by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make-up?
Answer:
The writer means that the artists who were subjected to make-up had to bear very intense heat due
to the multiple incandescent lights and reflecting big mirrors.
Question 14.
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What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
Answer:
Make-up department is the fine example of national integration that the author refers to as people
from various and distinct parts of India used to work there together.
Question 15.
What work did the ‘office boy’ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he
disappointed?
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Answer:
During the crowd shooting in the Gemini Studios, the office boy used to paint their faces slapping
with heavy paint. Thinking that he would become a top star, screen writer or a director or lyrics writer;
he joined the Gemini Studios. He couldn’t succeed and was disappointed due to his faliure and
thought that his talent was going to be wasted.
Question 16.
Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?
Answer:
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The author’s duty was to cut the newspaper clip-pings for the subject, arrange them in a file and
some-times writing by hand and this work appeared to be ^useless or valueless in others’ view.
Question 17.
Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?
Answer:
The office boy was frustrated because he assumed that his talent was being wasted working in a
department that was suitable only for barbers and perverts. He showed his anger on
Kothamangalam Subbu for his negligence and dishonour.
Question 18.
Who was Subbu’s principal?
Answer:
Mr. S.S. Vasan, the owner of the Gemini Studios, was the principal of Subbu.
Question 19.
Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.

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Answer:
Though Subbu was a versatile character having many qualities, nevertheless his main four abilites
can be counted as following: he was tailor-made for films, could solve any of the problem; he, being
a poet could write any type of poetry; he was always joyful and having very sound relationship with
his relatives and acquaintances; and lastly he was also having a talent of writing novels.
Question 20.
Why was the legal advisor referred to as the opposite by others?
Answer:
Instead of solving the legal problems of the people, the legal advisor himself used to create
problems for them. Once, when a talented heroine heard her own voice, she was disappointed and
her growth and career became steady and unfruitful.
Question 21.
What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The lawyer, in comparision with other members of story department, used to wear trousers, shirts

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and tie whereas others wore dhotis and especially khadi. So, sometimes wearing a coat also, the
lawyer stood out different from others.
Question 22.
Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?
Answer:
No, the people at Gemini Studios had no political affiliations. They wore khadi and were devotees of
Gandhiji. They didn’t have any opinion about any political party or even with communism.
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Question 23.
Why was the Moral Re-armament Army welcomed at the Studios?
Answer:
The Moral Rearmement Army was welcomed at the Gemini Studios as they staged two successful
plays many a times and the army was invited by the owner of the Gemini Studios. They were also
appreciated for their sense of costumes and arrangements.
Question 24.
CA
Give one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA.
Answer:
The Gemini Studios was actually influenced by the sunset and sunrise scenes presented by MRA
through their play ‘Jotham Valley’, The scene seemed to be unique with white background and a tune
played on the flute.
Question 25.
Who was the boss of Gemini Studios?
Answer:
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Mr. S.S. Vasan was the boss of Gemini Studios.

Question 26.
What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
People at the Gemini Studios were totally unknown about the strange accent of the Englishman and
couldn’t understand his wordings so this was the cause of lack of communication.
Question 27.
Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?
Answer:
Englishman’s visit is referred to as unexplained mystery because nobody could understand the
purpose of his visit as studio’s people made Tamil films for the simplest sort of people and they had
no taste for English poetry.
Question 28.
Who was the English visitor to the studios?

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Answer:
Stephen Spender, an English poet and editor was the English visitor to the Gemini Studios.
Question 29.
How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studio was?
Answer:
The author was interested in a contest organised by a British periodical ‘The Encounter’. So for
periodicals, he went to British council library where he saw the prints of ‘The Encounter’. He
discovered the editor’s name which was ‘Stephen Spender’ an Englishman who visited the Gemini
Studios.
Question 30.
What does ‘The God That Failed’ refer to?
Answer:
‘The God That Failed’ refers to a collection of six essays by six eminent men of letters. It was their
journey to enter into the communism and their dis-illusioned return.
Question 32.

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Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No.2 in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Kothammangalam Subbu, a Brahmin was a multi-talented personality. He used to solve each and
every problem of Gemini Studios. He was very close to the boss and was always seemed with him.
He commanded all the activities of all the persons related to the Gemini Studios. So we can say that
Subbu was the next boss of the Gemini Studios.
Long Answer Type
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Question 1.
Write a brief note on what you have learnt about Subbu’s Character?
Answer:
Subbu, Kothamangalam Subbu was a Brahmin by caste and placed at no. 2 position at the Gemini
Studios. He always remained cheerful and satisfied. Though he was very generous to all people of
the Gemini Studios as well as all the relatives and acquaintances, yet he too was having his woes.
People disliked him because of his closeness to the boss. He was very loyal to his boss.
CA
At Gemini Studios, he had the solution of all problems at one place. He seemed to be indulged in
every important affair of the company. He also had the artistic talent as he was a poet and novelist
also. He used to write in a simple way for common mass as he composed several folk dictions and
deftly created characters for novel. He was an amazing actor though never acted for a lead role but
got more praise than the main character. He was a tailor-made actor with unmatchable capacities.
Question 2.
What was Moral Re-armament Army? Describe about their journey to the Gemini Studios?
Answer:
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Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-armament Army came to the Gemini Studios in 1952. It was a drama
company with 200 strong and expert artists named as international cricus. All those persons
belonged to twenty different countries. They performed two different plays successfully representing
simple homilies with fine dressings and an effective set.
Plays played by the players were ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ which were widely
appreciated by the members of the studios. The scenes of sunrise and sunset were hugely copied by
the audience for many years. Those scenes were played on a bare stage with a white background
and a tune was played on the flute. Thus MRA influenced the spectators in a very impressive manner.
Question 3.
Describe the make-up department of Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The make-up department of the Gemini Studios was established on the upstairs of a building that
was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables. The make-up room had the look of a hair-cutting
salon with lights at all angles. The lights were incandescent which produced the extreme heat and

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about half dozen big mirrors reflected the light, that was totally unbearable for the artists to be made
-up.
The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who when left, a Maharashtrian headed it
with an assistant Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and
the usual local Tamils. In this way, there was a great deal of national integration. A strict hierarchy
could be noticed at make-up department. The chief make-up man attended to the chief actors and
actresses. His senior assistant looked to the ‘second’ hero and heroine, the junior assistant the main
comedian and so forth.
The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy. He used to mix his paint
in a giant vessel and slap it on the crowd players. So, the gang of nationally integrated make-up men
could turn any decent-looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster with the help of truck-
loads of Pancake and a number of other locally made potions and lotions. Thus, the make-up room
was not less than a torcher room for the artists who were to be prepared for the shoot.
Question 4.
How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini

DU
Studios?
Answer:
Only Tamil films were made in the Gemini Studios and the peoples of the Gemini Studios had
nothing to do with the English poetry. Not any of the English visitor could generate any point of
interest among Gemini Studios’ peoples regarding English poetry and they were also unable to
understand the strange and different accent of the Englishmen. So it was surely the incongruity of an
English poet ad-dressing the audience at Gemini Studios and the anthor found no productivity of any
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talent or knowledge through the visits of Englishmen.
Question 5.
What do you understand about the author’s literary inclinations from the account?
Answer:
Author, though had a work of newspaper cutting collection in the Gemini Studios but undoubtedly
this belonged to his literary taste which also required the sound knowledge of literature.
He needed be aware about different papers and periodicals also. After his retirement, he continued
CA
reading habit so once when he found a low priced edition of‘The God That Failed’, he immediately
bought it. This account reveals his literary taste that made him a successful writer also.
Question 6.
The author has used gentle humour to point out human problems. Pick out instances of this to show
how this serves to make the piece interesting.
Answer:
Many instances of humour are used by the author in this piece. Scenes of makeup department and
usage of Pancakes is very humorous. It was more a hair cutting saloon than the makeup room
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containing too much lights and mirrors. Makeup team could easily convert an ordinary man into a
hideous crimson hued monster.
According to the strict hierarchy, people were fixed for various levels artists. A office boy, though a
40 years man he was, joined the Gemini Studios to become a star actor, a writer or a lyricist but
failed and started to motivate others though he himself had as failed to achieve his aim.
Read, the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
(Para-1) A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make up department. The chief make up man made
the chief actors and actresses ugly, his senior assistant the ‘second’ hero and heroine, the junior
assistant the main comedian, and so forth. The players who played the crowd were the responsibility
of the office boy. (Even the make up department of the Gemini Studios had on ‘office boy!) On the
days when there was a crowd-shooting, You could see him mixing his paint in a giant vessel and
slapping it on the crowd players.
Questions:
(a) What do you understand by ‘hierarchy’ ?

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(b) Whose responsibility was to make up the crowd ?

(c) How the office boy used to prepare the make up paint?
(d) Name the chapter and the writer.
Answers :
(a) Hierarchy is a system in which members/ participants of any oragnisation/ company are ranked
according to relation or their authority.
(b) The crowd was made-up by the office boy of Gemini Studios.
(c) The office boy used to prepare the make up paint by mixing it (paint) in a giant vessel.
(d) The chapter’s name is ‘Poets and Pancakes’ by ‘Asokamitran’.
(Para-2) An extremely talented actress, who was also extremely temperamental, once blew over on
the sets. While every¬one stood stunned, the lawyer quietly switched on the re¬cording equipment.
When the actress paused for breath, the lawyer said to her, “One minute, please,” and played back
the recording. There was nothing incriminating or unmentionably foul about the actress’s tirade
against the producer. But when she heard her voice again through the sound equipment, she was
struck dumb.

DU
Questions :
(a) What happened to the actress once on the sets ?
(b) What did the lawyer said in the mid of the shot ?
(c) Was there something special about actress’s tirade ?
(d) Why was the actress struck dumb ?
Answers:
(a) Once on the sets, the actress with extremely tempera-mental blew over.
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(b) In the mid of the shot, the lawyer said to the actress, “One minute, please,” and played back the
recording.
(c) No, nothing was special and mentionable about the actress’s tirade.
(d) The actress struck dumb when she heard her own voice again through the sound equipment.
(Para-3) Gemini Studios was the favourite haunt of poets like
S.D.S. Yogiar, Sangu Subramanyam, Krishna Sastry and Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. It had an
excellent mess which supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the night.
CA
Those were the days when Congress rule meant Prohibition and meeting over a cup of coffee was
rather satisfying entertainment. Barring the office boys and a couple of clerks, everybody else at the
Studios radiated leisure, a pre-requisite for poerty.
Questions :
(a) Why all four poets mentioned above gathered at Gemini Studios ?
(b) What was the use of mess at Gemini Studios ?
(c) What was the meaning of Congress rule those days ?
(d) Why leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry was ?
VB

Answers:
(a) All four poets mentioned above gathered at Gemini Studios because it was an excellent place for
discussion and they felt relaxed gathering there.
(b) Mess at Gemini Studios supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the
night.
(c) Congress rules, those days meant ‘Prohibition’.
(d) Leisure was a pre-requisite for poetry because poetry was liked by not only office boys or clerks
but by everybody there.
(Para-4) A few months later, the telephone lines of the big bosses of Madras buzzed and once again
we at Gemini Studios cleared a whole shooting stage to welcome another visitor. All they said was
that he was a poet from England. The only poets from England the simple Gemini staffknew or
heared of were Word worth and Tennyson; the more literate ones knew of Keats, Shelly and Byron;
and one or two might have faintly come to know of someone by the name Eliot. Who was the poet
visiting the Gemini Studios now ?

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Questions: .
(a) Why did they clear the whole shooting stage ?
(b) What did they come to know about the visitor ?
(c) Which poets were known among the more literate peoples of Gemini Studios ?
(d) Was they sure about the visitor that time ?
Answers:
(a) They cleared the whole shooting stage to welcome an another visitor at Gemini Studios.
(b) They came to know that the visitor might be a poet from England..
(c) Keats, Shelley and Byron were known among the more literatre peoples of Gemini Studios.
(d) No, they were not sure about the visitor that time.
(Para-5) And years later, when I was out of Gemini Studios and I had much time but not much money,
anything at a reduced price attracted my attention. On the footpath in front of the Madras Mount
Road Post Office, there was a pile of brand new books for fifty paise each. Actually they were copies
of the same book, an elegant paperback of American origin. ‘Special low-priced student edition, in
connection with the 50th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution’.

DU
Questions :
(a) What attracted the writer and why ?
(b) Where did the writer find new books ?
(c) What do you understand by ‘paper back’ ?
(d) Why those books on footpath were so cheap ?
Answers:
(a) Anything at a reduced price attracted the attention of the writer because his pockets were not full
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of money.
(b) On the footpath in front of the Madras Mount Road Post Office, the writer found new books.
(c) Paperback is a type of book characterized by a thick paper or paperboard cover, and stick
together with glue rather than stitches or staples.
(d) Those books on footpath were so cheap because those were the books, special low-priced
student edition, in connection with the 50th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution.
The Interview
CA
Summary
The lesson begins with the introduction to interview as a commonplace of journalism since its
invention, which was a little over 130 years ago. According to the author, it is not very surprising that
people have very distinct opinions about the usage of interview. Some think of it in its highest form
whereas some people can’t stand being interviewed. An interview leaves a lasting impression and
according to an old saying, when perceptions are made about a certain person, the original identity
of his soul gets stolen. Famous celebrities, writers and artists have been heard criticising interviews.
Rudyard Kipling’s wife wrote in her diary how their day in Boston was ruined by two reporters. Kipling
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considers interviewing an assault, a crime that should attract punishment. He believes that a
respectable man would never ask or give an interview.
There is an excerpt from the interview between Mukund (from The Hindu newspaper) and Umberto
Eco, a professor at the University of Bologna in Italy who had already acquired a formidable
reputation as a scholar for his ideas on semiotics (the study of signs), literary interpretation, and
medieval aesthetics before he turned to writing fiction. The interview revolves around the success of
his novel, The Name of the Rose whose more than ten million copies were sold in the market. The
interviewer begins by asking him how Umberto manages to do so many different things to which he
replies by saying that he is doing the same thing. He further justifies and mentions that his books
about children talk about peace and non-violence which in the end, reflect his interest in philosophy.
Umberto identifies himself as an academic scholar who attends academic conferences during the
week and writes novels on Sundays. It doesn’t bother him that he is identified by others as a novelist
and not a scholar, because he knows that it is difficult to reach millions of people with scholarly
work. He believes there are empty spaces in one’s life, just like there are empty spaces in atoms and

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the Universe. He calls them interstices and most of his productive work is done during that time.
Talking about his novel, he mentions that it is not an easy-read. It has a detective aspect to it along
with metaphysics, theology and medieval history. Also, he believes that had the novel been written
ten years earlier or later, it would have not seen such a huge success. Thus, the reason for its
success still remains a mystery.
NOTES
PART I
 Interview has become a commonplace of journalism. Opinions on the functions, methods and merits
of Interview vary considerably.
 Some claim it to be the highest form, a source of truth and in its practice an art.
 Some despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into lives, which diminishes their personality.
 S. Naipaul feels that ‘some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves.’
 Lewis Carroll never consented to be interviewed for he believed it to be ‘a just horror of the
interviewer’.
 Rudyard Kipling considered it ‘immoral, a crime, an assault that merits punishment’.

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 G. Wells referred interviewing to be an ‘ordeal’.
 Saul Bellow describes it ‘like thumbprints on his windpipe’.
 Despite the drawbacks interview is a supremely serviceable medium of communication. Interviews
are the most vivid impression of our contemporaries and the interviewer holds a position of
unprecedented power and influence.
PART II
 An extract from an interview of Umberto Eco interviewed by Mukund Padmanabhan.



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Umberto Eco was a professor with a formidable reputation as a scholar for his ideas on Semiotics,
literary interpretation and medieval aesthetics before he turned into writing literary fiction. He
attained intellectual superstardom with his publication “The Name of the Rose”.
In the interview Eco shares his idea of empty spaces in our lives just as they exist in an atom, which
he calls Interstices. He says that he makes use of these empty spaces to work.
Eco’s essays were scholarly and narrative. He likes to be identified more as a university professor
who writes novels.
CA
 Eco’s ‘The Name of the Rose”, a serious novel, which delves into metaphysics, theology and
medieval history, enjoyed a mass audience. It dealt with medieval past. He feels that the novel
wouldn’t have been so well received had it been written ten years earlier or later.
Questions and Answers Short Answer Type:
Question 1.
Other than celebrities, what do some people think about an interview?
Other than celebrities, mostly common persons think that an interview is the only and best source of
truth. It according to them, is an art.
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Question 2.
In which way do the celebrities take an inter-view?
Celebrities find themselves as victims, they take interview as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives
which somehow diminishes them.
Question 3.
What did ‘Caroline’, the wife of ‘Rudyard Kipling’ write in her diary?
Caroline wrote that two reporters from Boston destroyed their whole day on 14 October, 1892.
Question 4.
Who described interview like thumbprints on his windpipe and why?
‘Saul Bellow’ once described interviews as being like thumbprints on his windpipe because he
became exhausted by the interviewes.
Question 5.
How Umberto Eco managed to write too much in his life?
Umberto Eco started to utilize interstices: the empty space which according to him is enough with

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everyone.
Question 6.
How can we say that Umberto Eco had a wide range of writing?
Umberto Eco was an expertise in semiotics and other than this he started to write fiction, literary
fiction, academic texts, essays, children’s books, newspaper articles etc. So his versatility in writings
can be easily understood.
Question 7.
What made ‘The Name of the Rose’ a hugely successful novel?
According to Umberto Eco, the most possible reason about the success of the novel was a time’s
mystery and actually nobody could predict the exact reason of it.
Question 8.
What is Umberto Eco’s theory of interstices?
Umberto Eco says about the elimination of empty spaces from the universe, from all the atoms and
then the universe would become as big as his fist.
Question 9.

DU
How many copies of the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ were sold?
More than 10 million copies of the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ were sold.
Question 10.
How and when did Umberto Eco start to write novels?
Umberto Eco started to write novels accidently at the age of 50. Then only on Sundays, he used to
write the content of the novels.
Question 11.
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Umberto Eco does many things, but says, “I am always doing the same thing but that is more
difficult to explain”. What does he mean to say?
Umberto Eco says that he has philosophical interests which reflect in all his writings : fiction and non
-fiction. In this way, he does the same thing, though he seems to pursue various activities : writing
notes for newspapers, novels, teaching, writing essays, children’s books etc.
Question 12.
Despite the drawbacks, the interview is a ‘supremely serviceable medium of communication’. Explain.
CA
Despite its drawbacks, the interview has its own advantages. Though, interview is an intrusion into
the personal life of the interviewee, it is always a supremely serviceable medium of communication.
Through the interviews only, we get vivid impressions of our contemporary celebrities. We get a
glance of their way of working.
Question 13.
What are some of the positive views on inter-views?
Interview is considered as a reliable source of truth. Contemporaries and their success can be read
through the interviews. A very important part of journalism is interview now a days.
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Question 14.
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed ?
Most celebrity writers despise being interviewed because they have faced the fright of interview.
Among them, interview is regarded as an unwarranted entrance into their privacy.
Question 15.
What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Some primitive cultures believe that a person’s soul is stolen if he or she is photographed.
Question 16.
What do you understand by the expression “thumbprints on his windpipe”?
“Thumbprints on his windpipe” expresses the block,age to any person’s freedom and privacy. It can
be \ considered as a suffocation felt by the interviewes.
Question 17.
What in today’s world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
In today’s world, our chief source of information about personalities is an interview.

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Question 18.
Do you think Umberto Eco like, being Inter viewed? Give reasons for your opinion.
Umberto Eco surely likes being interviewed as a part of his interview is presented in this chapter. He
answers every question asked by Mukund and never frustrates and criticizes the interview like many
other celebrity writers.
Question 19.
How does Eco find the time to write so much?
Umberto Eco uses each and every moment of time. Even he is capable to utilize the little space
between different act.s. So he calls it as usage of interstices; the management of time.
Question 20.
What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Eco’s academic writing style can be said as narrative which is personalised and interesting. Ecos
writing style is not dull and boring; different from others.
Question 21.
Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?

DU
Umberto Eco firstly considered himself as an academic scholar because he was a professor and
wrote many academic texts while he wrote his first novel at the age of 50 accidenty.
Question 22.
What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
The Name of the Rose is a serious detective story but delved into metaphysics, theology and
medieval history. The novel got a huge success and the reason Umberto Eco assesses is its
favourable publication time.
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Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Give a character sketch of Umberto Eco on the basis of the chapter ‘The Interview’.
Umberto Eco, a university professor at the university of Bologna in Italy, is an academician and a
famous novelist. He, through various interview discloses his secret of success in life and never
hates the interviewers. He has his taste in various fields of writings as academic texts, fiction and
non-fiction, literary fiction, essays, children’s books, newspaper articles etc.
CA
He always wanted to be called as an academician not a novelist. He used to participate in academic
conferences, on the other hand, he avoided the meetings of writers and Pen Club Members. He has
written forty scholarly works and novels only five. He used to denote time for writing novels on only
‘Sundays’. He discovered a magical trick of working in interstices.
He used to use even the seconds of his time. He captured the empty spaces for writing notes or any
content. He had an expertise in ‘Semiotics’: the study of signs. He never became a slave of proud as
he openely admitted that his novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ got success accidently and the time was
in his favour. He didn’t have any attitude of the celebrity though his novel was bought by more than
VB

the 10 million of the readers.

Question 2.
‘Mukund Padmanabhan’ was a reporter from ‘The Hindu’. In the context of the chapter, re-veal his
traits as an interviewer.
Mukund Padmanabhan was surely a successful and well thought-out reporter who always used to
ask answerable and dexterous questions to his interviewees. He used to plan and prepare to con-
duct an interview of a celebrity. He never asked ugly or embarrasing questions and on the other hand,
the celebrity whom he interviewed always seemed to be comfortable with his questions. Through the
inteviews, readers not only got the informations
about the celebrities but many other important aspects of Mukund’s personality also came in their
knowledge. He asked brief and quality questions to his interviewees scrupulously. He let the
interviewees spoke in their own manner and never tried to interrupt or cross-questioned them.
His interviewees used to be free and frank with him. He was always a prepared interviewer. Mukund,
in advance arranged the informations and personality traits of his interviewees and then with full

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preparations, started his sessions. In all we can say that Mukund Padmanabhan was a disciplined
and dedicated interviewer.
Question 3.
Several celebrities despise being interviewed. Is this justified? Why? Why not?
There are several celebrities mentioned in this chapter like Rudyard Kipling, V.S. Naipaul, H.G. Wells,
Saul Bellow and etc. who dislike interviews very strongly. They never became ready to be interviewed.
Most of them considered interviews as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives. They did not want to
reveal the secrets of their personal lives.
Even an interview is considered as an immoral activity, as a crime or sometimes as an assault. They
feel that the interviewers waste their precious time which can be used by them for more creativity.
On the other hand, common mass take interviewes very positively as they come to know about the
inner and hidden things of their ideals. But interviewes have their drawbacks also.
Celebrities feel shy and disappointed when they are asked for interviewes but they forget that they
become famous and wealthy through the successful interviewes. General mass become their fan
and devotee by knowing more and more about their ideals. Celebrities are even worshipped. In this

DU
regard, it can be said that interview cannot be termed as an immoral activity.
The Interview Extra Questions and Answers Extract Based
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
(Para-1) Since its invention a little over 130 years ago, the interview has become a commonplace of
journalism. Today, almost everybody who is literate will have read an interview at some point in their
lives, while from the other point of view, several thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the
years, some of them repeatedly. So it is hardly supervising that opinions of the interview of its
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functions, methods and meritsvery considerably.
Questions :
(a) What is an interview ? What’s its place in journalism ?
(b) What is the relation of an interview with a celebrity ?
(c) What is an interview for a literate person ?
(d) Name the chapter and the writer.
Answers:
CA
(a) An interview is a one-on-one conservation between an interviewer and an interviewee. It has a
commonplace in journalism.
(b) Though, according to the text, most of the celebrities despise from interview but several
thousand times, celebrities have been interviewed over the years, some of them repeatedly.
(c) For a literate person, an interview is an exciting content through which he comes to know about
their idols.
(d) The chapter is ‘The Interview’ by ‘Christopher Silvester’.
(Para-2) ‘Yet despite the drawbacks of the interview, it is a supremely serviceable medium of
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communication. “These days, more than at any other time, our most vivid impressions of our
contemporaries are through interviews.” Denis Brian has written. “Almost everything of moment
reaches us through one man asking questions of another. Because of this, the interviewer holds a
position of unprecedented power and influence.”
Questions :
(a) Despite the drawbacks, what is an interview ?
(b) Through which medium, how do we get most vivid impressions of our contemporaries ?
(c) How, according to Denis Brian, almost everything of moment reaches us ?
(d) Because of interviews, what position does the inter-viewer hold ?
Answers :
(a) Despite the drawbacks, an interview is a supremely serviceable medium of communication.
(b) Through interviews, we get most vivid impressions of our contemporaries.
(c) According to Denis Brian, almost everything of moment reaches us through one man asking
questions to another.

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(d) Because of interviews the interviewer holds a position of unprecedented power and influence.
(Para-3) And then I have a secret. Did you know what will hap¬pen if you eliminate the empty spaces
in all the atoms ? The universe will become as big as my fist. Similarly, we have a lot of empty space
in our lives. I call them interstices. Say you are coming over to my place. You are in an elevator and
while you are coming up, I am waiting for you. This is an interstice, an empty space.
Questions :
(a) What secret did Umberto Eco had ?
(b) What did Umberto Eco tell about the universe as well as fist ?
(c) What, according to the interviewee an ‘interstice’ ?
(d) What example did Umberto quote about an empty space ?
(Para-4) That’s possible. But let me tell you another story, because I often tell stories like a Chinese
wise man. My American publisher said while she loved my book, she did n’t expect to sell more than
3,000 copies in a country where nobody has seen a cathedral or studies Latin. So I was given an
advance for 3,000 copies, but in the end it sold two or three million in the U.S.
A lot of books have been written about the medieval past for before mine. I think the success of the

DU
book is a mystery. Nobody can predict it. I think if I had written ‘The Name of the Rose’ ten year
earlier or ten years later, it wouldn’t have been the same. Why it worked at that time is a mystery.
Questions :
(a) What does the American publisher say to Umberto Eco ?
(b) How many copies of that book were sold ?
(c) What Umberto Eco says about the success of the book?
(d) What is a mystery according to Umberto Eco ?
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Answers :
(a) American publisher says that in a country where nobody has seen a cathedral or studies Latin,
sale will not more than 3,000 copies of the book.
(b) Two or three million copies of that book were sold.
(c) Umberto Eco says that the success of the book is a mystery.
(d) According to Umberto Eco, ‘why it worked at that time is a mystery’. The sale and success of the
book was a mystery
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GOING PLACES
By A.R. Barton

About the author

A. R. Barton is a modern writer, who lives in Zurich and Writes in English. He has authored many
stories like “Going Places” which are mainly concerned with the problems and the stage of
adolescence.
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Introduction
The theme of this story is adolescent fantasizing and hero-worship. It is quite natural for teenagers
to have unrealistic dreams especially when their families are not well off. It is because of the fact
that the socio-economic background plays a leading role in the lives of the youths for choosing a
particular profession. The act of fantasizing may lead to miseries in case it is beyond our approach.
It is useless to build castles in the air.
Characters
1. Sophie: a school going teenager
2. Jansie: a friend and classmate of Sophie
3. Geoff: an elder brother of Sophie
4. Derek: a younger brother of Sophie
5. Danny Casey: A young Irish football player
6. Tom Finney: A great football player
7. United: name of the football team
8. Father & mother of Sophie

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Summary
Sophie, a teenager is filled with fantasies and desires. She comes from a poor financial background.
She dreams of owning a boutique one day or being an actress or fashion designer but her friend
Jansie believes that they are from a poor financial background and have to work in a biscuit factory.
Jansie, who is more realistic, tries to pull Sophie to reality, but in vain. Sophie lives in a small house
with her parents and brothers, Geoff and little Derek. Though she voices her feelings and desires, her
parents don’t believe her because they, unlike her, are more mature and know the harsh realities of
life.
Sophie finds a sort of fascination for her elder brother Geoff, who is tall, strong, handsome and
reserved. She envies his silence and often wonders about his thoughts and areas of his life that she
doesn’t know about.
Sophie fantasizes about Danny Casey, an Irish football player whom she had seen playing in
innumerable matches. She makes up a story
about how she met him in the streets and tells this to Geoff. Geoff, who is more sensible than
Sophie, does not really believe her, even if she wants to. It seems an unlikely incident for Sophie to

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meet the prodigy in their street, but when Sophie describes the meeting in all her details, he begins to
hope that it could be true. She tells him that Danny has promised to meet her somewhere again.
Sophie gets so pulled into the story she made that she herself begins to believe that it’s true. She
waits for the Irish player, but obviously, he never arrives. Then, she makes her way home, wondering
how her brother would be disappointed on knowing that Danny Casey never showed up. However,
Sophie still fantasizes about her hero, Danny Casey and believes he would definitely come to meet
her.
-M
Main points
1. The lesson explores the theme of adolescent fantasies and hero worship.
2. Sophie, a young girl always dreams of big and beautiful things.
3. Her ambitions have no relation with the harsh realities of life.
4. Jansie, Sophie’s friend is a realistic and practical girl.
5. Both Sophie and Jansie belong to the lower middle class families.
6. Sophie adores an Irish Footballer Danny Casey and makes imaginary flights to meet him.
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Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. What does Sophie dream of doing after she passes out of school? Why do you call it a ‘dream’
and not a ‘plan?
Ans. Sophie dreams to have a boutique of her own. It will be the most amazing shop the city has
ever seen. She says that she will buy a boutique if ever she comes into money. She does not mind
becoming an actress to run a boutique as a side business. Since she has no money or experience, it
is called a ‘dream’ and not a ‘plan’.
Q2. What are the other dreams of Sophie in addition to having a boutique?
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Ans. The greatest dream of Sophie is to have a boutique. She wants to be a bit sophisticated and
rise above her lower-middle class status. Her other dream is of being an actress as “there’s real
money in that”. Moreover, actresses don’t work full time. She can look after her first love i.e.
boutique as a side business. She has another option. She can be a fashion designer, and do
something sophisticated.
Q3. Why does Jansie say: “Soaf you really should be sensible”?
Ans. Jansie knows Sophie’s family background and financial position. She knows that both of them
are earmarked for that biscuit factory. Sophie dreams of big and beautiful things like having a
boutique or becoming an actress or a fashion designer. All these things need a lot of money and
experience. Sophie has neither of them. So Jansie advises her to be sensible and stop having wild
dreams.
Q4. Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie?
Ans. Sophie and Jansie are classmates and friends but they are poles apart in thinking and
temperament. Sophie is an incurable dreamer and escapist. She dreams of big and beautiful things,

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which are beyond her reach. On the other hand, Jansie is realistic and practical. She knows that they
are poor and have to work in the biscuit factory after leaving school. She is well aware that big things
require big money and experience, which they don’t have.
Q5. What job is Geoff engaged in? How does he differ from his sister, Sophie?
Ans. Geoff is grown up boy. He left school three years ago. Now he is an apprentice mechanic. He
has to travel to his work each day to the far side of the city. He speaks little but listens to his sister’s
‘wild stories’. But he is not a day dreamer like her. He knows the financial limitations of the family.
He cautions Sophie against entertaining dreams for a celebrity like Danny Casey.
Q6. Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?
Ans. Geoff was almost grown up now. He spoke little. Sophie was jealous of his silence. She knew
that when he was not speaking, he was away somewhere. He was out in the surrounding country—in
those places she had never been. She wanted to share her brother’s affection.
Q7. What does Sophie tell Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey? How does Geoff react to it?
Ans. Sophie tells Geoff that she met Danny Casey. Geoff is surprised. He looks round abruptly and
asks ‘where?’ Sophie replies that she met him in the arcade. Geoff can’t believe her. He says, “It’s

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never true.” He asks her, “What does he look like?” She replies that he has green eyes and is not very
tall. Geoff is still not convinced.
Q8. How does Sophie’s father react when Geoff tells him about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans. Geoff informs his father that Sophie had a meeting with Danny Casey. He turns his head on his
thick neck to look at her in disbelief. His expression is one of disdain. He ignores the news and goes
on to talk about Tom Finney. He hopes that Danny will be like Tom Finney one day. When Sophie
says that Casey is going to buy a shop, he reacts sharply. “This is another of your wild stories.”
-M
Q9. Who was Danny Casey? How did the members of Sophie’s family react towards him?
Ans. Danny Casey was a young Irish football player. He played for the United. The Irish prodigy could
easily dodge the defenders and score goals. Sophie’s father was a football fan. He admired old
heroes like Tom Finney and young wonder boy Casey. Geoff had a large poster of United first team
squad on his bed room wall. There were three coloured photographs of Casey in the row below it.
Every Saturday they went to watch United.
Q10. Where did Sophie meet Casey and what transpired between them?
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Ans. Sophie met Danny Casey in the arcade. It was she who spoke first and asked if he was Casey.
He looked surprised. He was certainly Danny Casey as he had the Irish accent. She had already
heard him on television. She asked him for an autograph for little Derek. But neither of them had any
paper or pen. Before going he promised to give his autograph if she cared to meet him next week.
Q11. How did Jansie react at Sophie’s story of her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans. Jansie was a classmate and friend of Sophie. She lived in the same neighbourhood. She knew
Sophie quite well. She was also aware of Sophie’s habit of dreaming. On learning of her meeting with
Danny Casey, her first reaction was of disbelief. “You never did”, exclaimed Jansie. But when Sophie
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told her about her request for autograph, Jansie softened a little and said, “Jesus, I wish I’d have
been there.”
Q12. Why did Sophie choose to walk by the canal? ‘What did she do there?
Ans. Sophie walked by the canal along a sheltered path. It was far away from the noise and crowd of
the city. It was a place where she had often played when she was a child. There was a wooden bench
beneath a solitary elm tree. Lovers sometimes came there. That was the most suitable place where
she could dream of her hero Danny Casey
Q13. What did Sophie feel while sitting for hours and waiting for Danny Casey by the canal?
Ans. At first Sophie was optimistic. She imagined him coming out of the shadows. When time had
elapsed, pangs of doubt stirred inside her. She became sad and despondent. Danny would not come
there at all. She feared that people would laugh at the story of her meeting with Casey.
Q14. “Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind.” Do you agree? Give reasons in
support of your answer.
Ans. I fully agree with the observation. Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind, she

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is a hero-worshipper. The Irish prodigy is her hero. She imagines her meeting with him. Her day-
dreaming makes her sad and despondent. The idea that Casey will not c
ome at all is quite painful to her. Thus her dreams and disappointments are products of her mind
only. They have nothing to do with reality.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. What impression do you form of Sophie on reading the story ‘Going Places’?
Ans. Sophie is a young school girl. She dreams of big and beautiful things. Some of these are
beyond her reach. Her ambitions have no relation with the harsh realities of life. She thinks of having
a boutique. She wants to have the most amazing shop this city has ever seen. Then she entertains
the idea of being an actress ‘There’s real money in that.’ Actresses do now work full time. So she
would run the boutique as a side business. If need be, she can be a fashion designer. She doesn’t
realize that her family is not rich enough and her dreams can’t be fulfilled.
Sophie develops a romantic fascination for Danny Casey. He is a young Irish football player and the
hero of her dreams. She indulges in hero worship. She tells a story that she met Casey. Her father
calls it another of her “wild stories”. Even Geoff does not believe her. She has seen Casey only once,

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but all the time she thinks of him. She sits alone and waits for his arrival. She becomes sad and
despondent when Casey does not come. She suffers because of her dreams. These dreams and
disappointments are all the creations of her mind.
Q2. Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie highlighting their temperament and aspirations.
Ans. Sophie and Jansie are classmates and friends. They belong to lower middle class families.
Both of them are earmarked for biscuit factory. Jansie is down to earth. She is practical and realist.
But Sophie is totally blind to the harsh realities of life. She dreams of big and beautiful things. She
-M
wants to have a boutique. She thinks of becoming an actress as there is lot of money in this
profession. If need be, she can also be a fashion designer. In short, she loves to be grand and
sophisticated. All her dreams are beyond her reach and resources. Jansie advises her to be sensible,
but she remains a romantic dreamer. Sophie and Jansie differ in thinking and temperament. Sophie
is lost in her dream world, she shares her secret with only one person. It is her elder brother Geoff.
Jansie is ‘nosey’. She takes interests in learning new things about others. She can spread the story in
the whole neighbourhood. So Sophie doesn’t want to share secrets with her.
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Q3. Describe the bond between Geoff and Sophie in spite of differences in their temperament and
thinking.
Ans. Geoff was Sophie’s elder brother. He was three years out of school. He was an apprentice
mechanic. He travelled to his work each day to the far side of the city. He was almost grown up now.
He spoke very little. Sophie was jealous of Geoff’s silence. He was quiet and didn’t make new friends
easily. He thought that Sophie was too young and immature. Geoff was mature enough to
understand his limitations and those of his family. He never dreamt of big and beautiful things. In
spite of difference in their temperaments, there was a close bond between the two. Geoff was
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always the first to share Sophie’s secrets. He knew that Sophie’s story of meeting with Danny Casey
was not true. Still he listened to her. Sophie confided in him. Her secret was something special just
between them. It was not meant for nosey Jansie who would spread it in the whole neighbourhood.
Geoff tried to persuade Sophie. He warned her that Danny Casey was a celebrity. He must have
many girls like her running after him. Sophie told him that Casey would give her an autograph if she
cared to meet him next week. Geoff did not believe “he’d ever show up.” Thus he acted like an elder
brother.
Q4. Who was Danny Casey? How was he adored by the family of Sophie, and especially by Sophie
and her father?
Ans. Danny Casey was an Irish Prodigy. He was a wonder boy of football. He had won the hearts of
his countless fans. He played for United. Sophie’s family was obsessed with the Irish genius.
Sophie’s father compared young Danny Casey to another great football player Tom Finney. He
wished that Casey might be that good someday. Geoff remarked that he was with the best team in
the country. He hoped that Casey would prove even a better player than Tom Finney. Geoff

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considered him the best. His father thought that he was too young for the first team. The fact was
that with his exceptional ability he was playing for the first eleven.
On Saturday, Sophie’s family made their weekly pilgrimage to the stadium to watch United play their
match. They watched their hero Danny Casey in action. Sophie adored Danny Casey. She had a
romantic fascination for the Irish prodigy. Her young heart throbbed for her hero. She imagined
Casey coming to her. She would sit under an elm tree, waiting for Casey and dreaming of him. She
realized that he would not come. This made her sad and dejected. Sophie became a victim of her
own dreams and disappointments.
Read, the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
(Para-1) Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and wondered at the inconguity of the
delicate bow which fastened her apron strings. The delicate-seeming bow and the crooked back. The
evening has already blacked in the windows and the small room was steady from the stone and
cluttered with the heavy-breathing man in his vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the
corner. Sophie felt a tightening in her throat. She went to look for her brother Geoff.
Questions :

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(a) Whose bow did Sophie watched and what did she feel ?
(b) What was the condition of the small room ?
(c) What did Sophie feel and what did she do then ?
(d) Name the chapter and its writer.
Answers:
(a) Sophie watched the back bow of her own mother stooped over the sink and wondered at the
inconguity of the delicate bow.
-M
(b) The small room was steamy from the stove and cluttered with the heavy-breathing man in his
vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the corner.
(c) Sophie felt a tightening in her throat and she went to look for her brother Geoff.
(d) The chapter’s name is ‘Going Places’ and its writter is ‘A. R. Barton’.
(Para-2) “It was nothing like that, Geoff It was me spoke first. When I saw who it was, I said, “Excuse
me, but aren’t you Danny Casey ?” And he looked sort of surprised. And he said, “Yes, that’s right.”
And I knew it must be him because he had the accent, you know, like when they interviewed him on
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the television. So I asked him for an autograph for little Derek, but neither of us had any paper or a
pen. So then we just talked a bit. About the clothes in Royce’s window. He seemed lonely. After all,
it’s a long way from the west of Ireland. And then, just as he was going, he said, If I would care to
meet him next week he would give me an autograph then. Of course, I said I would.”
Questions :
(a) Who looked sort of surprised and why ?
(b) How did Sophie confirm that he was Danny Casey ?
(c) What did Sophie ask him and what happened then ?
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(d) While going, what did Danny Casey ask her ?

Answers :
(a) Danny Casey looked sort of surprised because Sophie asked him about his name (identity).
(b) By hearing his accent and remembering his interview on television, she confirmed that he was
Danny Casey.
(c) Sophie asked him for an autograph for little Derek but neither of them had any paper or a pen.
(d) While going, Danny Casey asked her. If she would care to meet him next week he would give her
an autograph then.
(Para-3) After dark she walked by the canal, along a sheltered path lighted only by the glare of the
lamps from the wharf across the water, and the unceasing drone of the city was muffled and distant.
It was a place she had often played in when she was a child. There was a wooden bench beneath a
solitary elm where lovers sometimes came. She sat down to wait. It was the perfect place, she had
always thought so, for a meeting of this kind. For those who wished not to be observed. She knew he
would approve.

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Questions :
(a) After dark, where did she walk along ?
(b) Why that place was suitable for meeting ?
(c) Where and why did she sit ?
(d) Why it was a perfect place ?
Answers :
(a) After dark, she walked by the canal, along a sheltered path lighted only by the glare of the lamps
from the wharf across the water.
(b) The unceasing drone of the city was muffled and distant, so that place was suitable for meeting.
(c) There was a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm where . lovers sometimes came, she sat down
there to wait.
(d) It was a perfect place because lovers metting there could not be observed by anyone.
(Para-4) And afterwards you wait there alone in the arcade for a long while, standing where he stood,
remembering the soft melodious voice, the shimmer of green eyes. No taller than you. No bolder
then you. The prodigy. The innocent genius, the great Danny Casey.

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And she saw it all again, last Saturday saw him ghost past the lumbering defenders, heard the fifty
thousand catch their breath as he hovored momentarily over the ball, and then the explosion of
sound as he struck it crisply into the goal, the sudden thunderous eruption of exultant approbation.
Questions :
(a) What was she remembering about Danny Casey ?
(b) What titles did she use for Danny Casey ?
(c) When and what did she see last Saturday ?
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(d) What explosion could be seen at the stadium ?
Answers :
(a) She was remembering about the scene of the arcade where he stood. She remembered the soft
melodious voice and the shimmer of green eyes.
(b) She titled Danny Casey “No taller than you’, the prodigy, the innocent genius, the great Danny
Casey.
(c) Last Saturday, she saw him ghost past the lumbering defenders, heard the fifty thousand catch
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their breath as he hovered momentarily over the balk
(d) The explosion of sound, the sudden thunderous eruption of exultant approbation could be seen
at the stadium.
POEM
MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX
By Kamala Das
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About the poet

Kamala Das was born in Punnayurkulam, Thrissur District in Kerala, on March 31, 1934, to V. M. Nair,
a former managing editor of the widely-circulated Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi, and Nalappatt
Balamani Amma, a renowned Malayali poetess.She spent her childhood between Calcutta, where her
father was employed as a senior officer in the Walford Transport Company that sold Bentley and
Rolls Royce. Like her mother, Kamala Das also excelled in writing. Her love of poetry began at an
early age through the influence of her great uncle, Nalappatt Narayana Menon, a prominent writer. At
the age of 15, she got married to bank officer Madhava Das, who encouraged her writing interests,
and she started writing and publishing both in English and in Malayalam. She was born in a
conservative Hindu Nair (Nallappattu) family having royal ancestry, after being asked by her lover
Sadiq Ali, an Islamic scholar and a Muslim League MP, she embraced Islam in 1999 at the age of 65
and assumed the name Kamala Surayya. After converting, she wrote: “Life has changed for me since
Nov. 14 when a young man named Sadiq Ali walked in to meet me. He is 38 and has a beautiful
smile. Afterwards he began to woo me on the phone from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, reciting Urdu
couplets and telling me of what he would do to me after our marriage. I took my nurse Mini and went

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to his place in my car. I stayed with him for three days. There was a sunlit river, some trees, and a lot
of laughter. He asked me to become a Muslim which I did on my return home.” Her conversion was
rather controversial, among social and literary circles. Later, she felt it was not worth it to change
one’s religion and said “I fell in love with a Muslim after my husband’s death. He was kind and
generous in the beginning. But I now feel one shouldn’t change one’s religion. It is not worth it.”
Kamala Das had three sons – M D Nalapat, Chinnen Das and Jayasurya Das. Madhav Das Nalapat,
the eldest, is married to Princess Lakshmi Bayi (daughter of M.R.Ry. Sri Chembrol Raja Raja Varma
Avargal) from the Travancore Royal House. He holds the UNESCO Peace Chair and Professor of
geopolitics at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education. He was formerly a resident editor of the
Times of India. On 31 May 2009, aged 75, she died at a hospital in Pune. Her body was flown to her
home state of Kerala. She was buried at the Palayam Juma Masjid at Thiruvanathapuram with full
state honour.
Central Idea

Aging is an important phase of human life. A person enters his childhood, experiences youth when

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he is full of energy and dreams to have luxury of life. Finally, he approaches his old age and
encounters death. Relationship between people becomes stronger at every aspect of life and they
can’t bear separation due to aging.
In this poem, the poet relates a personal experience. She brings out a common paradox of human
relationships and portrays a sensational separation of a mother and a daughter. She has been able
to capture almost all the emotions which a daughter is filled with, on bidding farewell to her beloved
mother. Sometimes we do feel deep sympathy for someone but we fail to express it in a proper
manner.
-M
Summary
One last Friday morning, the poetess was driving from her parents’ home to the Cochin airport. Her
mother was sitting beside her in the car. She suddenly had a look at her mother. She found that her
mother was dozing with her open mouth. Her face was as pale as that of a corpse. The poet
painfully realized that her mother is not going to live long. This painful thought haunted her. But soon
she tried to put it off by looking out of the car window. She saw the young trees running past them.
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She looked at the merry children coming out of their homes. As she saw life and vitality in the
outside world, the painful thought passed away from her mind.
After reaching the airport, she went through the security check. Her mother was standing outside a
few yards away. After the security check, she looked at her mother again. Her face was pale white
like a late winter’s moon. She felt the old familiar ache of childhood in her heart which is usually felt
by a child due to the fear of separation from his/ her mother. But she contained herself and kept on
smiling in order to conceal her emotions. She spoke no word to her mother. All that she said was,
“See you soon, Amma” and bade good bye to her mother with a hope to see her again.
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Main points
1. Poetess travelling to Cochin airport with her mother in a car.
2. Looks at the wan, pale face of her dozing mother.
3. Old fear of loosing her mother returns.
4. Sprinting trees and merry children provide the contrast and relief.
5. After the security check the old familiar ache returns.
6. Tries to hide her emotions by smiling.
7. Bids good bye to her mother with a hope to see her again.
Questions for Comprehension
Q1. Where was the poet driving to? Who was sitting beside her?
Ans. The poet was driving to Cochin. The poet’s mother was sitting beside her.
Q2. What did the poet notice about the mother?
Ans. She noticed that her mother was weak, pale and unconscious like a dead body.
Q3. How does the poet describe her mother in the poem?
Ans. The poet describes her mother as an old lady who has become pale, weak and worn out. She

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often dozes and remains unconscious about herself like a dead body.
Q4. Why does the poet look outside? What activities does the poet see outside the car window?
Ans. The poet feels very sad thinking that her mother is nearing death. This painfum thought makes
her worried and anxious. So in order to divert her attention from her mother, she looks outside.The
poet sees young trees running past them. She also sees little children coming out of their homes in a
merry mood. She sees life and vitality in the outside world.
Q5. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Ans. The young trees are described as sprinting’ as the movement of the racing car makes the trees
appear as if they are running along.
Q6. Why is the mother compared to the late winter’s moon?
Ans. The mother is compared to the late winter’s moon because like the moon of winter season, the
poet’s mother also looks pale, dull and grayish.
Q6. What childhood fears do you think, the poet is referring to in the poem?
Ans. The poet feels uneasy and unprotected with the thought of losing her mother. She does not
expect to see her mother again on her return. So she shows a childish unwillingness to leave her

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mother.
Q7. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
Ans. The poet, Kamala Das, has used the image of merry children spilling out of their homes to bring
a contrast between the old age and childhood. Her mother’s pale, colourless face stands for old and
fading age. Merry children symbolise the spring of life, vigour and happiness. They also symbolize
spontaneity of life in contrast to the passive and inactive life of her aged mother.
Q8. What does Kamala Das do after the security check up? What does she notice?
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Ans. After the security check up, the poet stands a few yards away from her mother and gazes at her
mother. She notices the declining age and finds her pale and worn out than ever before.
Q9. The poet compares her mother to many things. Pick out two similes which reinforce this
comparison.
Ans. The two similes are: “Her face ashen like that of a corpse.”
“I looked again at her wan, pale as a late winter’s moon”
Q10. What image does the poet use to describe death in the poem?
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Ans. The poet uses the image “corpse” to describe death in the poem.
Q11. Cite an example of one device of contrast that the poet uses in the poem.
Ans. The device of contrast that the poet uses in the poem is old age of her mother and the young
trees and children playing merrily. The poet compares youth, energy, vitality and jubilance of
childhood.
Q12. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans. The poets parting words, ‘see you soon, Amma’ are expressive of the dilemma and confusion in
her mind. They not only hide her anxiety and fear about her mother’s rather frail health but reflect
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also a faint hope that the old woman would survive long enough for the two to meet again.
Q13. Why did the poet say “see you soon Amma”? What does the poet actually mean by „smile and
smile and smile….‟? What kind of smile is it?
Ans. The poet said, “See you soon Amma” in order to give her mother moral support and
encouragement. She said so to give her mother hope that she would see her again. By “smile and
smile and smile…” she means to make herself and her mother hopeful to see each other again. It is
actually a painful smile. The poet tries to conceal the swelling emotions by smiling. By using this
poetic device of repetition, the poet has made the poetic language rich by depicting many hidden
emotions through “smile”.
Q14. Discuss mother- daughter relationship as described in the poem.
Ans. Mother- daughter relationship as described in the poem is very sensitive and full of love, care
and emotions. Mother has a deep emotional link to her children and does not want them to be away.
In particular, when the mother reaches her old age, she becomes more concerned and worried about
her children. Daughter also tends to bear a specific kind of emotional link to her mother. She tries to

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remain close to her mother and feels very bad and worried when separated from her. In this poem,
the mother does not want her daughter to leave her; similarly the daughter gives a mysterious and
indefinable smile which is to show unwillingness and anxiety of leaving her mother.
Q15. “My Mother at sixty six” is an emotional account of the poet about her old mother. Discuss.
Ans. “My Mother at sixty six” is an emotional account of the poet about her old mother. She feels
very sad and depressed on seeing her pale, weak and worn out. She tries her best to divert her
thought but remains unsuccessful and this thought haunts her mind every now and then. Till the end
of the poem, she feels very sad and disappointed about the declining age of her mother. She is
unable to express her fears and emotions to her mother with the thought of disheartening her. She
bids goodbye to her mother by just smiling in order to hide her hurt feelings and encourage her
mother.
Important Extracts
Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:
…..I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old

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familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,
All I did was smile and smile and smile …….
Questions:
Q1. Who looked wan and pale? Why?
Ans. The poet’s mother looked wan and pale due to her old age.
Q2. What is the comparison in the stanza?
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Ans. The mother’s wan and pale face has been compared to the late winter’s moon.
Q3. What is her childhood’s fear?
Ans. It is the fear of ageing and approaching death of her mother.
Q4. Which figure of speech is used in the second line?
Ans. Simile – as a late winter’s moon.
Q5. How does she comfort/ console her mother?
Ans. She smiled and promised to see her mother soon.
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Q6. What is the significance of the parting words?
Ans. These words signify hope and expectation to see her again.
Q7. What kind of pain/ ache does the poetess feel?
Ans. She feels pain on seeing wan and pale face of her mother. It appears she will not live long.
Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:
………..I saw my mother, beside me,
Doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that
Of a corpse and realised with pain
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That she thought away, and looked but soon

Put that thought away, and looked out at young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
Out of their homes, ………………
Q1. Where was the poet driving to? Who was sitting beside her?
Ans. The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. Her mother was sitting
beside her.
Q2. What did the mother look like?
Ans. Her old mother look sick, drowsy and lifeless like a dead body.
Q3. What thought did she put away?
Ans. She put away her fear that she would not live long.
Q4. What do the sprinting trees signify?
Ans. The “sprinting tress” signify the vitality of youth.
Q5. What are “the merry children spilling out of their homes” symbolic of?

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Ans. The “merry children spilling out of their homes” are symbolic of carefree childhood when all
time is playtime.
Keeping Quiet
By Pablo Neruda

About the poet

Pablo Neruda’s real name is Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He was born on 12 July, 1904, in the
town of Parral in Chile. His father was a railway employee and his mother, who died shortly after his
birth, a teacher. Some years later his father, who had then moved to the town of Temuco, remarried
Doña Trinidad Candia Malverde. The poet spent his childhood and youth in Temuco. At age 13, he
began his literary career as a contributor to the daily La Mañana, where he published his first articles
and poems. In 1920, he contributed to the literary journal Selva Austral under the pen name Pablo
Neruda, which he assumed in honor of Czech poet Jan Neruda.
Neruda died just two years after receiving his Nobel Prize on September 23, 1973, in Santiago, Chile.
Though his death was officially attributed to prostate cancer, there have been allegations that the

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poet was poisoned.
In 2011, Neruda’s chauffeur alleged that the writer said he’d been given an injection at a clinic by a
physician that worsened his health. Chilean judge Mario Carroza later authorized an official
investigation into cause of death. Neruda’s body was exhumed in 2013 and examined, but a
forensics team found no initial evidence of foul play.
Introduction
The poet talks about the necessity of quiet introspection as it can develop a feeling of mutual
understanding among human beings.
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Theme
It is basically an anti-war poem. The poet is deeply concerned about violence, cruelty to animals and
plight of manual workers. The poet offers a very simple solution to many of our social, political and
religious problems. The solution is self-introspection. If it is acted upon, it will be the first major step
towards uniting people. The second step is that everyone should look within and analyze what is
wrong and who is the wrong doer. This will cleanse every heart and ennoble all people.
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Summary
This poem advocates the importance of silence and self- introspection. It can transform not only the
life of an individual but also the face of the earth. The poet says that it does not need much time to
look within and examine oneself. It will take only as long as it will take to count to twelve. During this
time of introspection (self-examination), one should keep quiet and say nothing at all. It will give him
a strange feeling of togetherness with all others.
Although it may seem a little strange in the beginning, it will eventually bring us all together. This
silence will be free from ‘the disturbing sounds of engines and people rushing to get their work done’
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for some time. He feels contended imagining the change that will be brought about in those
moments. The men who hurt their hands while collecting salt will get a little rest. Even the people
who seek fresh wars, using fatal gas and weapons, will put on clean clothes and get a chance to
walk among their brothers. They will lead a hatred-free and calm life, giving a halt to their destructive
activities.
The poet clarifies that his wish should not be considered as a case for “total inactivity”. He only
wants to interrupt the sad, cruel and baleful activities of the world for a few moments and make the
people introspect their actions. In fact what he says is connected with life, not with death. Activity is
very essence of life. Inactivity is death but for a fresh, better and useful activity, a little stillness is
essential.
The poet uses the image of the earth to show how life exists in seemingly dormant things. In winter,
the earth becomes so still and silent that it seems to be dead. But later in spring, it seems to be lively
again. It has new beauties and colours added to it. Similarly, after a little quietness and silence, man
can resume his activities in a fresh and better manner.

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Main points
1. The poem talks about the necessity of quiet introspection.
2. It will help people to understand themselves & will create the feeling of mutual love & relationship.
3. By quiet introspection, the poet doesn’t mean total inactivity, instead he wants full involvement
with life.
4. The reason for the discard & war is the imbalance between man & nature.
5. Quiet introspection will establish a spiritual & physical union that is most desirable for the survival
of the earth & of human beings.
Important Extracts
1. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow:
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines
we would be all together
in a sudden strangeness.
Questions

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Q1. Which moment is referred to here and how will it be?
Ans. it will be a moment of peace and introspection. It will be a strange and attractive moment that
will bring us closer.
Q2. How would we feel at that moment?
Ans. We will realize a feeling of oneness.
Q3. How will it bring all of us together?
Ans. By keeping quiet and still, we all will feel alike as if we are together.
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What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
Questions
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Q1. What is it that should not be confused with total inactivity?
Ans. It is the moment of silence that should not be confused with total inactivity.
Q2. What is the life about?
Ans. Life is about actions and dynamism. It must go on. The efforts to keep the race alive cannot be
suspended even for a day. Action is essence of life.
Q3. Explain: “no truck with death”.
Ans. Total inactivity is a synonym of death and he has no association with death. This short silence
is very much alive and a preparation for renewed hectic activity.
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Those who prepare green wars,

wars with gas, wars with fire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
Questions
Q1. In which wars are there no survivors?
Ans. There are no survivors in the wars of poisonous gases and the war of firearms.
Q2. Who would put on clean clothes?
Ans. The war-wagers would put on clean clothes.
Q3. What does ‘put on clean clothes’ signify?
Ans. ‘Put on clean clothes’ signifies the feelings of their mutual understanding.
If we were not so single-minded

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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.
Questions
Q1. What will happen if we go on thinking single-minded?
Ans. In case we go on thinking single minded, we will remain busy in worldly activities, thereby we
won’t find time for self-introspection. It will be a sad situation.
Q2. How can we understand ourselves?
Ans. We can understand ourselves through self-introspection.
Q3. In what way can huge silence dispel sadness?
Ans. Huge silence will remove all our tension, violence and warfare. It will do away with all our

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sadness.
Q4. What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Ans. The poet Pablo Neruda refers to ‘sadness’ which we form out of our own thinking and actions.
We understand a lot of things but fail to understand ourselves and our actions and this becomes the
creator of all disasters. This is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem
Q5. Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing’ for once?
Ans. The poet wants to do nothing for once, here he specifies that we should cease all our activities
in order to have introspection within ourselves so that we can realize the exotic moment.
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Q7. How we can know ourselves?
Ans. We can know ourselves through introspection.
Q8. Identify ‘we’.
Ans. ‘We’ here refers to all human beings.
Perhaps the Earth can teach us a
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.
Questions
Q1. What does the earth teach us?
Ans. The earth teaches us how life springs from dead things. It further teaches us to realize life
under stillness.
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Q2. What does the poet mean to achieve by counting upto twelve?
Ans. He wants us to achieve peace by counting upto twelve.
Q3. What is the significance of ‘Keeping Quiet’?
Ans. ‘Keeping quiet’ means that we should avoid all those activities which hurt the nature.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?
Ans. Keeping quiet will develop a better understanding among human beings and allow us to
establish communion with our fellow beings at spiritual level.
Q2. Does the poet advocate total inactivity and death by suggesting being quiet?
Ans. No, the poet does not advocate it. He wants no truck with death. In fact he wants to live life full
bloodedly. But by advocating quietness he wants mixing of physical and spiritual aspect of life.
Q3. Why does not the poet want us to speak in any language?
Ans. The poet wants us not to speak in any language to introspect and know what we are about-
know the meaning of our existence. He wants everybody to know his spirit and have spiritual contact
with others for sometimes for which no language is required.

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Q4. What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Ans. Counting up to twelve and keeping quiet will assist us in attaining a state of peace in which we
will be able to introspect and thus, see and appreciate the benefits of the symbiotic relationship that
would exist between humans and between man and nature.
Q5. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Ans. The poet does not advocate total inactivity and death, but he does advise that we introspect
deeply and not indulge in activity that is mindless and thus potentially destructive for human beings
and for the balance that should exist between man and nature.
Q6. What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Ans. Man fails to understand themselves. They are always threatening themselves with death. When
they do not understand themselves, they become sad. Only silence might interrupt this sadness and
make them happy.
Q7. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent
stillness?
Ans. Life under apparent stillness can be seen in nature. During the winter season, the earth under

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the snow looks dead, with no activity and no growth. But when the spring comes, the snow melts
away, the seeds sprout and the grass grows. All activities of life start again.
Q8. According to the poet, what is that human beings can learn from nature?
Ans. Nature teaches us a lot of things. We must learn that all things are bound together and depend
on each other for their survival. We should introspect ourselves by remaining calm and composed.
So it teaches us to be quiet and still. It is no use to hinder others. We should grow and develop at our
own Place. We must be contended with what we possess. There is no need for greed. The nature
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always remains alive.

About the poet

A Thing of Beauty
By John Keats

John Keats was a British Romantic poet. He was born on October 31, 1795, in London. He lost both
his parents at a young age. His father, a livery-stable keeper, died when Keats was eight; his mother
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died of tuberculosis six years later. After his mother’s death, Keats’s maternal grandmother
appointed two London merchants, Richard Abbey and John Rowland Sandell, as guardians. Abbey, a
prosperous tea broker, assumed the bulk of this responsibility, while Sandell played only a minor role.
When Keats was fifteen, Abbey withdrew him from the Clarke School, Enfield, to apprentice with an
apothecary-surgeon and study medicine in a London hospital. In 1816 Keats became a licensed
apothecary, but he never practiced his profession, deciding instead to write poetry.
Keats spent the summer of 1818 on a walking tour in Northern England and Scotland, returning
home to care for his brother, Tom, who suffered from tuberculosis. While nursing his brother, Keats
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met and fell in love with a woman named Fanny Brawne. That same autumn Keats contracted
tuberculosis, and by the following February he felt that death was already upon him.
In July 1820, he published his third and best volume of poetry, Lamia, Isabella but by that time he
had reached an advanced stage of his disease. He continued a correspondence with Fanny Brawne
and when he could no longer bear to write to her directly because of his failing health, her mother
prevented their getting married. Under his doctor’s orders to seek a warm climate for the winter,
Keats went to Rome with his friend, the painter Joseph Severn. He died there on February 23, 1821,
at the age of twenty-five, and was buried in the Protestant cemetery.
Background

The poem is based on a Greek legend in which Endymion a handsome young shepherd and poet who
lived on Mount Latmos, had a vision of Cynthia, the moon goddess. The enchanted youth resolved to
seek her out and so wandered away through the forest and down under the sea.
Central Idea
Beauty is a heavenly tonic/drink – an endless fountain of nectar. This beauty comes in different

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forms – a tale, a poem, a play, a lovely object of nature or the heavenly bodies. It soothes our spirits
and gives us good health, sound sleep and mental peace. It removes sadness from our lives and
gives an everlasting joy.
Summary
A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its loveliness grows with the passage of time and its
impact never fades away. It is as soothing as a cool shade. It never passes into nothingness. It gives
us good health, sound sleep and mental peace. It provides the beholder with a haven of tranquility
and solace.
Man and nature are inseparable. It is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth. Every
morning we collect fresh lovely flowers and prepare garlands. They refresh our moods and we forget
our worries for a while.
Every person gets a bitter taste of sorrow, suffering and grief. Disease, disappointments and
misfortunes give us mental and physical suffering. It is the beautiful things that remove the pall of
sadness from our lives and make us happy and hopeful.
All beautiful things of nature are a boon for human beings. The sun, the moon, the trees, daffodils,

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simple sheep, clear streams, forests ferns, musk rose etc. provide us peace and happiness.
In addition to these lovely objects of nature, there are plays and poems to lift our spirits. The glorious
achievements of mighty heroes and magnificent rewards by God on the day of judgement for those
mighty men, lovely tales of olden days are endless source of everlasting joy. The poet feels that
nothing can surpass the beauty of nature. They are an elixir of life. They are like an endless fountain
that pours immortal drink from the heaven into our hearts. So beauty is a gift of God and it gives us
joy forever.
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Main points
1. The beautiful things of nature are permanent source of joy and make our lives sweet.
2. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
3. It does not pass into nothingness but its beauty keeps on increasing.
4. It gives us sound sleep and good health;
5. This world is full of frustrations, disappointments and dearth of noble people.
6. These make our life gloomy and sad.
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7. But things of beauty remove the pall and sadness from our spirits.
8. Nature is a constant source of happiness for human beings.
9. The beautiful things are – sheep, daffodils, clear streams, musk roses and forest thickets.
10. These things soothe and make us happy.
11. Stories of heroes who have died in peace of war are also things of beauty and have a stimulating
effect.
12. But the beauties of nature are lovelier than all the lovely tales and are like the immortal drink
from heaven.
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Important Extracts
1. Read the extract carefully 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.
Questions
Q1. What is being said to be a joy forever?
Ans. A thing of beauty is said to be a joy forever.
Q2. What is peculiar about a beautiful thing?
Ans. A beautiful thing leaves a permanent impression on our minds. Its loveliness goes on
increasing. It stays in our imagination and becomes a source of joy forever.

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Q3. What can a beautiful thing do for the human beings?

Ans. A beautiful thing gives us a sound sleep full of sweet dreams, good health and a peaceful
breathing. It also helps us in achieving the peace of mind. It removes sadness and brings happiness
to our depressed spirits.
Q4. How does a thing of beauty keep a bower quiet for us?
Ans. It reserves a quiet place in our heart. When we are tired, tensed, troubled or disappointed, it
heals our sorrows and restores happiness for us again.
Q5. Explain: “It will never pass into nothingness”.
Ans. A thing of beauty is a perennial thing. Its beauty goes on increasing. It will never be reduced into
nothingness.
2. And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or red;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.

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Questions
Q1. Who are the mighty dead?
Ans. The mighty dead are those who sacrificed their lives for a noble cause and made great
achievements in their lifetime.
Q2. How is grandeur associated with the mighty dead?
Ans. The mighty dead are honored and worshiped for their remarkable achievements. Now they are
lying buried under their graves. On the day of judgement, God also will reward them for their noble
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deeds. It is this dignity that is associated with them.
Q3. What lovely tales does the poet talk of?
Ans. He talks of the great myths and the tales of the olden days.
Q4. What does the poet call “an endless fountain of immortal drink”?
Ans. Beautiful things.
Q5. What image does the poet draw in the last two lines?
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Ans. Beautiful things are like an endless fountain which goes on pouring the immortal drink unto us
from the heaven. They are a source of immense joy and happiness.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?
Ans. A thing of beauty is a joy forever as its loveliness increases through recollection and
contemplation. It is a perennial source of pleasure that ensures good health and quiet breathing. It
brings relief in our painful existence.
Q2. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
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Ans. In spite of troubles and sufferings, human beings love life because there are some beautiful
things that move away the gloom from the depressed minds. The beautiful things in nature like the
moon, the sun, the trees, the ferns and the daffodils bring happiness and reduce men’s sufferings.
Q3. List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.
Ans. All beautiful things of nature are a boon for human beings. The sun, the moon, the trees,
daffodils, simple sheep, clear streams, forests ferns, musk rose etc. provide us peace and happiness.
Q4. List the things that cause suffering and pain.
Ans. Disease, disappointments, jealousy, lack of human qualities, gloomy days, unhealthy and evil
ways cause pains and sufferings in our lives.
Q5. What does the line, ‘Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth’ suggest to
you?
Ans. When we pluck fresh flowers to make a garland, it shows our love for life, for nature and for
beauty. The flowers attract us and bind us to the nature and the earth.
Q6. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
Ans. There are many things that depress our spirits but our nature has blessed us with beauty that

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alone makes our life happy. It removes the pall of sadness. It offers us loveliness and pleasures. So
human beings love life.
Q7. Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting
impression on us?
Ans. Things of beauty make a lasting impression on us and continue to delight us and give us joy.
Beauty can never fade away or lose its value.
Q8. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Ans. Human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings because nature is the best healer and
it brings beauty and joy to our life. The memory of the beautiful experiences helps us to bear our
sorrows and provide a peaceful retreat.
Q9. Why is grandeur associated with mighty dead?
Ans. Great men have great fall. The exploits of the mighty rulers and generals fill us with awe and
wonder. We admire and even worship our heroes. We remember them gratefully because they
sacrificed their lives for a noble cause.
Q10. What becomes of all lovely tales we have heard or read?

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Ans. All lovely tales that we have heard or read become a source of pleasure. They become an
endless fountain of nectar and give us heavenly pleasure.

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

By Adrienne Rich

About the Poet

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Adrienne Rich was an American poet and essayist. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 16,
1929. She was brought up in a well-off family. She was the elder of two daughters. Her father was a
doctor and her mother was a music composer. In 1953, she married Harvard University economist
Alfred H. Conrad. She attended Radcliffe College, graduating in 1951, and was selected by W.H.
Auden for the Yale Series of Younger Poets prize. Two years later, she published her second volume
of poetry, The Diamond Cutters. After having three sons before the age of thirty, Rich gradually
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changed both her life and her poetry. Throughout the 1960s, she wrote several collections. The
content of her work became increasingly confrontational—exploring such themes as women’s role in
society, racism, and the Vietnam War.
In 1997, she refused the National Medal of Arts, stating that “I could not accept such an award from
White House because the very meaning of art, as I understand it, is incompatible with the cynical
politics of this administration.” The same year, Rich was awarded the Academy’s Wallace Stevens
Award for outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry. She died on March 27, 2012, at the
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age of eighty-two.
Introduction

Adrienne Rich was brought up in a well-off family. Rich felt dominated by her father’s strong
personality while growing up. It was he who most guided her as a young poet. This wasn’t always to
her liking as he expected her to write her poems his way. When Rich was growing up men dominated
and women were expected to become dutiful wives in their adult lives. All these elements may have
influenced the picture of marriage Rich drew in this poem. At the heart of the poem is an image of a
husband who controls and frightens his wife. Rich wrote a lot of poems based on everyday
experience. One topic she often featured was the tension, women felt due to being dominated by
their husbands. In ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ Rich is mocking the weakness of Aunt Jennifer and the
clout and authority of Jennifer’s husband in their marriage.

Summary

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In the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ a woman expresses her suppressed feelings through her art.
Aunt Jennifer is the victim of the male-dominated society. She has no one to tell her mental and
physical pain. She makes a picture to convey her deep feelings. The speaker describes the tigers
which her aunt produced on the panel. They are set in motion. They are moving quickly by raising the
front legs and jumping forwards on the back legs. In the green jungle they look free, bright, brave,
fearless and magnificent.
There are men sitting under the tree, but the tigers do not care for them. They move on to their goal
boldly and smoothly. Jennifer finds it difficult to make pictures by using the ivory needle. She is tired
of doing the household work after she got married. She can’t get herself involved in her artistic work.
She has to do it in her leisure time. Even then she has to be sure whether her husband is watching
her or not. So her hands are terrified. She will not be free from fear until she dies. She will be
dominated by her husband. She will die, but her art will express her desire to move proudly and
fearlessly like the tigers she has made.
Main points
1. In this poem, the poet addresses the constraints of married life, experienced by a woman.

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2. Aunt Jennifer weaves tigers into the panel. These tigers are brave & have no fear of men.
3. Aunt Jennifer is terrified by her dominating husband. Her finger flutters due to the mental
suppression. She is not happy with her married life.
4. She will die but her art will express her desire to move proudly and fearlessly like the tigers she has
made.
Important Extracts
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
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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.”
Q1. What does prancing tigers symbolize?
Ans. Prancing tigers are a symbol of the spirit of freedom within Aunt Jennifer which remains
subdued
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Q2. Why are they referred to as ‘denizens of a world of green’?
Ans. The tigers are the dwellers of the green forest so they are referred to as denizens.
Q3. What qualities of the ‘tigers’ are highlighted here?
Ans. Fearlessness and ferocity of the tigers are highlighted here. Aunt Jennifer’s nervousness and
timidity are in sharp contrast to wild ferocity of the tigers who are not afraid of hunting men. Unlike
Aunt Jennifer, the tigers fear nothing.
Q4. Explain; “They pace in sleek chivalric certainty”.
Ans. The movement of the tigers are sleek, stealthy, sure, majestic and elegant. They are sure of
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their purpose. Gallant and confident, they move ahead fearlessly undeterred by any obstacles or
hindrances.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.”
Q1. Why do Aunt Jennifer’s fingers flutter through her wool?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer lives in constant fear of her husband. She feels so nervous and terrified that her
hands shake and flutter when she sits down to knit.
Q2. Why does she find it hard to pull the ivory needle?
Ans. She finds it hard to pull the ivory needle more because of mental suppression than because of
physical weakness. Due to constant fear that she confronts, has become a nervous wreck.
Q3. Explain: ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’.

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Ans. The expression is symbolic of male authority and power. Matrimony binds the
woman physically as well as mentally. Likewise Aunt Jennifer is trapped in gender oppression and
feels herself burdened by the authority of her husband.
Q4. How is Aunt Jennifer affected by the ‘weight of matrimony’?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer cannot do things freely. She tries to come up to the expectation of her husband.
She seems to have lost her identity. The freedom that she dreams of through her art, is itself
symbolic of her oppressed self.
3. 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.”
Q1. What is Aunt Jennifer’s death symbolic of?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer’s death is symbolic of her complete submission to her suppression.
Q2. Explain: “terrified hands”.

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Ans. Aunt Jennifer is terrified by her dominating husband and hence her hands are shivering.
Q3. What does ‘ringed with ordeals’ imply?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer has been so victimized in her life that even after death she remains trapped. We
find her a victim of gender injustice and oppression.
Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. How do the tigers made by Aunt Jennifer look like?

Ans. The tigers, made by Aunt Jennifer on the screen, are jumping and playing about without any
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fear of the men beneath the tree. They walk in elegance and style displaying the spirit of courage,
fearlessness, strength and confidence.
Q2. What do the tigers made by the Aunt symbolize?
Ans. The tigers made by Aunt Jennifer symbolize the spirit of courage, strength and fearlessness
Aunt Jennifer, a victim of male oppression, expresses her crushed feelings in the form of art. So, the
tigers are symbolic of the fear of male domination with which Aunt Jennifer suffers.
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Q3. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are fluttering through her wool? Why is she finding the
needle so hard to pull?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer is victimized by the overbearing and dominant nature of her husband. Her life has
become a torture due to her suppression by her atrocious husband. The fear of her authoritative
husband has gone so deep into her being that she seems to have lost
all strength and energy. Thus her hands shake and flutter so much that she is not even able to pull
the needle through the tapestry.
Q4. What do you understand by “massive weight of uncle’s wedding band”?
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Ans. Generally ‘wedding band’ is a symbol of joy and happiness. But in case of Aunt Jennifer, it has
become a symbol of torture and oppression. Her relationship with her authoritative husband has
become a painful burden to carry. Her ‘wedding band’ has brought her a world of pain, misery and
torture. She has lost her freedom and entered a world of humiliation and oppression.
Q5. Explain ’her terrified hands will lie, still ringed with the ordeals she was mastered by’.
Ans. These lines convey Aunt’s complete submission to the oppressive authority of her husband.
The fear of her husband has gone so deep into her being that even death cannot liberate her from
the chains of her mental suppression. Memories of her husband’s tortures and atrocities which bent
her into a humiliating slavery, will continue to haunt her even after her death.
A Roadside Stand
Summary
There has been an extension of the shed in front by the occupants of the little old house.
Furthermore, this extension is around the edge of the road where the passage of traffic takes place.
It seems like the shack-owners want to implore the passers-by to purchase something from the
shack. These deprived people have a huge desire for the currency.

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Unfortunately, the traffic goes past ignoring the shack. If by chance the traffic does stop, it would
come with a feeling of disappointment. They are very disturbed to see the poor unattractive
signboards. There is an offer of wild berries shack for sale in a wooden quart (a quarter of a gallon).
This place offers a peaceful natural stay for those who can afford it. The poet becomes angry at this
attitude of the ‘polished traffic’ and asks them to move ahead.
The poet shows more concern for the sadness of the shed-owners than he does for the landscape
blemish. He believes that these people have a longing to handle some city money. This money can
reduce their suffering as one can see in movies. The political party that enjoys power is the one that
deprives them of a happy life.
The poet makes mention of the news which points out the relocation of the poor villagers to the
vicinity of shops and theatres. There were big promises to ensure good care for them. However, the
government authorities became negligent of these promises. Furthermore, the poet is angry at this
behavior and calls them “greedy good-doers”. He calls them “beasts of prey” who indulge in the
exploitation of the poor villagers.
The villagers pay a heavy price as they had to lose their land. The civic authorities are successful in

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fooling these naïve villagers. They promise them a better life and a good sleep. However, these civic
authorities are the ones who sleep peacefully while making the lives of villagers miserable. Work
during the day and sleep at night was the norm in ancient times. However, there has been a reversal
of this norm as the villagers are not able to sleep at night.
The poet expresses his distress while explaining the endless wait of shed owners for buyers. There
is an ambiance of sadness all over the place. Sometimes a car stops but that is to enquire about the
farmer’s price. Furthermore, others who stop just want to make use of the backyard. One of the cars
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stops for a gallon of gas. Moreover, this demonstrates the sense of alienation between urban and
rural life.
The poet regrets that money is not abundant in the country-side. Furthermore, money can raise
spirits while a lack of it dampens it. The villagers have a tendency to express their grievance about a
life which has a lack of money. Moreover, the poet becomes very emotional and contemplates their
pain. He certainly wants to change their lives in one go but understands that this will be a futile act.
A Roadside Stand shows us the great contrast between the comfortable life of city dwellers and the
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harshness faced by the impoverished rural people
NOTES:

 There stands an old house at the side of the road. A new little shed is added to it. The shed is
 used as the stand to sell items.
 The house is situated at the corner of the road, where the traffic passes at the great speed.
 Roadside stand seems to beg pathetically to the passersby to halt and to buy. Or the inmates
of the stand beg for financial assistance in order to sustain themselves.
VB

 It would not be fair for the people to say they are begging at the roadside stand because they
were not begging for a piece of bread but they wanted a respectful living by selling their fruits
for money which the passersby had to spend in the city.
 Villagers crave for the city money to fall into their share so that they could
 sustain themselves. Money , the cityfolk spend in living lavishly, could be
 better used in supporting the lives of village folk.
 (Flower of city: lavish lifestyle and richness of city dwellers
 Sinking and withering faint :from going down and losing its glamour. Prosperity of the city will
decline without money)
 Polished traffic refers to the well off and sophisticated city folk who pass in their lavish
vehicles. Polished traffic also implies luxurious vehicles.
 Their mind is focused on their destination and they are oblivious of the roadside stand.
 They do not generally stop or show concern for rustics. But if they momentarily pause to
have one look at these people ,they are critical of them.
 (Aside a moment : stop for a moment ,or ,look aside for a moment

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 Out of sorts: unhappy ,upset)

 City folk feel that these rustics spoil the beauty of the landscape with inelegant paint. They
show annoyance as the direction signs are turned wrong.
 (Marred :spoiled
 Artless : crude ,clumsy)
 Roadside stand owners sell wild berries in wooden containers or twisted necked golden
squash(fruit) with silver lump on it. City dwellers disapprove of this.
 Moment of respite is felt in beautiful surroundings. City folks feel that stand spoils the beauty
of mountain scene.
 City dwellers have money but they are selfish and do not want to share their money. But why
they get angry with rustics?
 The poet does not want to complain about the harm these people cause to the natural
scenery. He is more concerned with the pain and sorrow of their unsaid words cause to the
trust of the country people.
 TRUSTING SORROW: Country folk trust their rich brother in city thinking they would come to

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their help but feel sad when their trust is breached by the city people through their
indifference. City people say nothing, but their ugly facial expressions and even their silence
speak about cold and indifferent attitude towards rural poor.
 Rustics establish roadside stand far away from city and hope some money from city dwellers
would pass into their hands and sustain their livelihood and could lead better life.
 By letting some money pass into the hands of rustics ,the city dwellers will keep the promise
of providing comfortable life which ruling parties have failed to do so. Politicians make false
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promises to provide better living condition
 (Moving pictures: Luxurious, advanced lifestyle projected in T.V or movies)
 The poet remarks that he has heard the news that all poor people whom the poet considers
as relatives would be drawn out of their property. Their lands would be bought or acquired for
commercial development. They want the stand owners to vacate and shift to village. They
promise the villagers with respectable living space in the village.
 PITIFUL KIN refer to poor village folk. They are akin to each other in their poverty stricken
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pathetic condition.
 THEATRE AND STORE signify superior lifestyle to these rustics.
 In the village then they need not to be concerned about their sustenance.
 GREEDY GOOD DOERS : greedy people posing as benefactors to mankind.
 BENEFICENT BEAST OF PREY: City dwellers want to take away their source of livelihood ,but
pretend to be helpful. Men in power are beasts of prey in garb of benefactors. They
exploit common people for their vested interests.
 Men in power enforce such benefits on country folk which in reality are meant for their own
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benefit.Men in power approach country folk with false promises of providing better living
conditions. The rustics repose blind faith in these promises and feel comforted to an extent
that they fail to see their greedy intentions.
 By making fake promises ,they teach innocent people to sleep over or ignore
their sufferings .But in reality , they snatch their peaceful moments and sleep through
exploitation.
 23-31These lines depict the misery of the poor at the “roadside stands” who are
 rehabilitated to better places in the village with promises of an increase in earnings
 and a better life. These people are exploited and they end up living a life much
 worse than they lived at “roadside stands”
 The poet finds it unbearable to see the childish longing of the people who wait for customers
uselessly.
 CHILDISH LONGING: It is the childish and futile desire of the stand owners that the vehicles
would pause to buy the products being sold at the roadside stand.

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 There is a great deal of sadness as the stand owners wait near the open window openly
praying for the people to stop.
 They wait for loud shrieks of brakes and for sound of stopping cars.It raises their
 hope for some city money to flow into their hands.
 Villagers hope vainly that one car out of thousands will stop to inquire about the prices of the
products.
 SELFISH CARS: Cars are referred to as selfish as the owners of the cars do not understand
their suffering and so they do not contribute in enhancing their financial status.
 When one car stops, their hopes are shattered for it only digs up the grass and use the yard
to back and turn around. Another stop only to ask directions.
 Sometimes some motorists stop to enquire if they could get a gallon of gas from the stand.
The people at the stand get annoyed especially when motorists enquire for the gas. They are
rather infuriated at the city folk’s ignorance for they could clearly see that they are not selling
gas.
 The poet notes sadly that the prosperity in the city is not trickling down thevillages at all. No

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amount of material gains in the country is uplifting the villagers. Hence the spirit of these
poor people remain depressed because of poverty.
 The people from countryside complain of the backwardness of the countryside.
 The poet accepts that it would be a great relief work to kill all the poor people. For him mass
killing is the easiest and the quickest remedy to put them out of pain and suffering.
 The poet first longs for the killing of all the poor at one stroke. But, when he regains wisdom
he thinks it is a vain and inhuman idea to kill all the poor people. He thinks he should be killed
-M so that he won’t see the miserable plight of the poor people.
Comprehension
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,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
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But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
Questions
(a) Why was the new shed put up by the villagers ?
(b) Why the word ‘pathetically1 was used ?
(c) What would not be fair and why ?
(d) How cash supports the cities ?
Answers
VB

(a) The new shed was put up by the villagers to earn some money by selling their products.
(b) Word ‘pathetically’ was used to show the miserable and pitiful condition of the farmers.
(c) To say for a ‘dole of bread’ would not be fair because those farmers have their self-respect and
they do not need begging.
(d) Cash escapes the cities from sinking and withering faint.
Stanza 2
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 sturned 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,
Questions

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(a) What does ‘the polished traffic’ mean ?

(b) How the landscape was marred ?
(c) What was sold there at roadside stands ?
(d) What is meant by ‘out of sorts’ ?
Answers
(a) The polished traffic means the glossy, dexterous and proudy traffic.
(b) The landscape was marred with the artless paint of signs that with N turned wrong and S turned
wrong.
(c) Wild berries in wooden quarts and crook-necked golden squash with silver warts are sold there.
(d) ‘Out of sorts’ means complaining, bad-tempered or unhappy.
Stanza 3
You have the money, but if you want to be mean,
Why keep your money (his crossly) and go along.
The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint
So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid :

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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.
Questions
(a) How are the city dwellers proved to be mean ?
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(b) Where have they made their roadside stands ?
(c) Why do the farmers need some city money to feel in hand ?
(d) What is the promise of the ruling party ?
Answers
(a) City dwellers have enough money but they go along without spending it.
(b) ‘They have made their roadside stands far from the city.
(c) The farmers need some city money to feel in hand to make their being expand and to live life like
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their ideals/heroes.
(d) The party in power promises to give them a comfortable and luxury life without worry and
economic problem.
Stanza 4
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 any more,
VB

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.
Questions
(a) What is in the news?
(b) What, according to the greedy good-doers, is the benefit of the farmers?
(c) ‘Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits’, explain.
(d) How their sleeping would be destroyed?
Answers
(a) It is in the news that all these pitiful kin are to be brought out and gathered mercifully, these
farmers would be settled in the villages near the theatre and the store.
(b) The farmers won’t have to think for themselves any-more.

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(c) Aborie mentioned line means : Capturing the lives of the farmers by enforcing their own benefits;
using them for purposes.
(d) By teaching them how to sleep, their ancient way of sleeping would be destroyed.
Stanza 5
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,
Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are.
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

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They couldn’t (this crossly); thy had none, didn’t it seel
Questions
(a) What can be hardly borne by the poet?
(b) What do they wait for?
(c) How cars are selfish?
(d) What is the reply of the farmers at last?
Answers
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(a) The poet can hardly bear the thought of so much childish longing in vain: expectations that would
never be fulfilled.
(b) They (farmers) wait for the squeal Of brakes, the sound of a stopping car; actually they wait for
the real customers.
(c) Cars are said to be selfish because nobody stops there to buy anything but to inquire only or to
plow up the grass by turning their heavy vehicles.
(d) The farmers angrily reply that they have nothing as per their demand, do they not see whatever
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they are selling.
Stanza 6
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.
And then next day as I come back into the sane,
VB

I wondor how I should like you to come to me

And offer to put me gently out of my pain.
Questions
(a) What is not found in country money?
(b) Who complains and why?
(c) How poet finds himself helpless?
(d) Why was poet wondeored?
Answers
(a) The requisite lift of spirit is never found in country money, at the country scale of gain.
(b) The voice (villagers) of the country complains because no relief is given to them from the
government or greedy good-doers.
(c) The poet finds himself helpless as he is unable to put those people out of their pain at one stroke.
(d) The poet was wondeored because he was expecting them to come to him and put him gently out
of his pain.

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Vistas
Third Level
Summary
In New York, the Grand Central Station has two levels. Nonetheless, Charley a 31-year-old city
resident talks that there exists a third level. Also, he claims that he has been there. To talk about this
problem he visits a psychiatrist friend. He calls it a “walking-dream wish fulfilment” and explains
Charley’s psychology by saying that “the modern world is full of fear, insecurity, war, and worry…..”
and everybody wants to escape to some “temporary refuge from reality.” As for him, hobbies like
stamp collection is an indicator of this escape.
At times the Grand Central Station seems like a maze to Charley. While taking the subway earlier he
had lost his way a couple of times. One time he entered the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. While the
other time he appeared at an office building that was three blocks away. However, this time he loses
his way and something unique occurs. Charley visits the third level!
In the silent hallway, Charley keeps walking, turning left, and sloping downward, until he touches an
architecturally old station, which is totally different from the two familiar levels. Moreover, this old

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small room with fewer ticket counters and train gates, a wooden information booth, wavering open
flame gas lights and brass spittoons. All this remind him of the architecture of the 1800s. Further, he
sees people in outdated outfits. When he noticed the date in the newspaper ‘The World’ he sees 11
June 1894. When he tries to buy two tickets, he realizes that he needs old currency.
He always wanted to travel to Galesburg with his wife, Louisa. Back in his head, it is “a wonderful
town still, with big old frame houses, huge lawns, and tremendous trees….” The place has pleasant
and long summer dusks and where people have ample of time. Hence, the next day during lunch, he
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exchanges three hundred dollars for old currency amounting to some two hundred only. In addition,
the amount doesn’t bother him as he believes that everything there will be cheaper. However, he
could never again find the corridor that leads him to the third level.
When her wife came to know about this she asks him to stop looking. Unexpectedly, his friend Sam
Weiner also disappear and his wife keeps on looking for him for in the weekends. Moreover, Sam
was the one whom Charley shares his idea about Galesburg.
Charley inherited the hobby of stamp collection from his grandfather. And someday while looking at
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the stamp collection, Charley finds a letter that was earlier not there. Also, it has the postmark on a
faded six-cent stamp with a picture of President Garfield. Further, the envelop read as 18 July 1894
to Charley’s grandfather in Galesburg and it addresses Charley.
In the letter, Sam tells Charley that he has reached Galesburg and he invites Charley and Louisa there.
After going to stamp and coin shop he gets to know that Sam exchange eight hundred dollars for old
currency bills to establish his business in Galesburg. Besides, Sam was none other than Charley’s
psychiatrist! Through the third level, the writer wants to escape from the modern world to peaceful
and quite old times.
VB

Important Questions
1. Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:
Question 1.
What does the third level refer to? What is the significance of the third level? (2001; 2004, Delhi)
The third level is a medium of escape through which man yearns to be away from life’s harsh
realities. Modem life is devoid of peace and tranquility so man in his quest to seek solace escapes to
a place where his aim is to seek the realization of his dreams and unfulfilled wishes of his
subconscious mind.
Question 2.
What convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station and not the
second level? (2010 Delhi)
The general layout of the third level was different from that of the second level. It had comparatively
smaller rooms, fewer ticket windows and lesser train gates. The infor¬mation booth in the centre
was made of wood and looked old. The place with its brass spittoons did not look very bright. So

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Charley was convinced it was not the second level.

Question 3.
How does Charley, the narrator describe the third level at Grand Central Station? (2013 Delhi)
Charley says that the rooms on the third level were smaller than that of the second level. There were
fewer ticket windows and train gates and the information booth in the centre was wood and old
looking. There were open- flame gaslights and brass spittoons on the floor. Everyone at the station
was dressed in nineteenth century dresses.
Question 4.
How did Charley make sure that he was not in the present time? (2002 Delhi)
To make sure that he was not in the present time, Charley did a reality check. He looked at the
newspapers which were on sale at a kiosk and found a copy of the newspaper ‘The World’, which
carried the main story on President Cleveland. Then he confirmed from the Public Library files that
the newspaper he had seen was dated 11th June, 1894.
Question 5.
How did Charley often get lost on the Grand Central Station? (2010 Delhi)

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The Grand Central Station was growing like a tree pushing out endless corridors, doorways and
stairs like roots. It had intricate and tangled pathways. The network of passages was so complicated
that instead of reaching his destination, one did tend to move up and down to look for entries and
exits. So, Charley often got lost on this station.
Question 6.
Why did Charley suspect that Sam had gone to Galesburg? (2011 Outside Delhi)
When Sam disappeared all of a sudden and no one knew about his whereabouts, Charley suspected
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he had gone to Galesburg as Sam was a city boy and liked Galesburg very much. Then Charley found
an envelope mailed to Sam by his grandfather from his home in Galesburg and so it confirmed that
Sam was indeed in Galesburg.
Question 7.
How does Charley describe Galesburg as it used to be in 1894? (2013 Comptt. Outside Delhi)
Charley describes Galesburg as a quiet, simple and peaceful place with big old frame houses, huge
lawns and tremendous trees. The summer evenings were rather long and people sat out on their
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lawns in a peaceful world, men smoking cigars and women waving palm-leaf fans.
Question 8.
What did Charley learn about Sam from the stamp and coin store? (2012 Outside Delhi)
From the stamp and coin store Charley gets to know that Sam had bought old style currency worth
eight hundred dollars. This money was sufficient to set him up in a little hay, feed and grain business
in Galesburg.
Question 9.
How did Sam reach Galesburg? What did he advise Charley to do? (2012 Outside Delhi)
VB

Sam was fascinated by Charley’s description of Galesburg. He was so burdened by the tensions and
stress of modem life that he thought of escaping to the peaceful world of Galesburg. His advice to
Charley is that, he (Charley) and his wife, Louisa should come over to Galesburg through the medium
of the ‘third level’.
Question 10.
Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money? (2010 Delhi)
The booking clerk refuses to accept the money because the notes Charley had given him were of old
style. He did not pay in the currency notes that were in circulation in 1894. So the clerk stared at him
and told him, “That ain’t money, Mister”. He thought Charley was trying to cheat him and even
threatened to get him arrested.
Question 11.
Why did Charley rush back from the third level? (2012 Outside Delhi)
When Charley took out the modem currency to pay for the two tickets to Galesburg, the ticket clerk
accused him of trying to cheat him. He threatened to hand Charley over to the police. Charley was

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frightened and he decided to rush back from the third level, lest he was arrested and put into prison.
Question 12.
How did Charley reach the third level of Grand Central? How was it different from the other levels?
(2009 Delhi; 2012 Comptt. Delhi)
One night Charley worked till late at the office. Then he was in a hurry to get back to his apartment.
So he decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He went down the steps and came to the first
level. Then he walked down to the second level from where the suburban trains left. He ducked into
an arched doorway that headed to the subway. Then he got lost. Knowing that he was going wrong
he continued to walk downward. The tunnel turned a sharp left and then taking a short flight of stairs
he came out on the third level at the Grand Central Station. Here he saw many unusual things. There
were very few ticket windows and train gates that were old-looking and made of wood. Dim gaslights
flickered and men wore derby hats and four-button suits. It was a rather strange world of sideburns,
beards and fancy moustaches.
Question 13.
Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? (2005; 2008 Delhi)

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The fears, anxieties and insecurities of the modem world are taking a toll on man’s mind. He feels
helpless and frustrated and seeks temporary respite from life’s harsh realities. Charley too was
unable to cope up with his fastpaced and stressful life so his flight to the third level was undoubtedly
a medium of escape for him. It is nothing but a creation of Charley’s own mind. He wants to escape
from the modern world’s insecurity, fear, worries and stress and so seeks an exit, a medium to get
away into the world of dreams and fancies.
Question 14.
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What made Charley believe that the was actually standing at the third level? (2010 Comptt.
One night Charley worked late at the office. He was in a hurry to get to his apartment. So he decided
to take the subway from Grand Central. He ducked into an arched doorway and then he got lost. He
walked down the steps to the second level, turned left and kept on walking. He came out on the third
level at the Grand Central Station. This was a different, old and romantic world. So he was convinced
that he was actually standing at the third level. There were fewer ticket windows there which were
made of wood and were old-looking. There were open flame gaslights. He saw people with beards,
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sideburns and fancy moustaches. Then he caught a glimpse of an old locomotive and also saw an
1894 issue of ‘The World’ newspaper. Perhaps Charley is under pressure to escape from the harsh
world of realities. He would like to escape to the peaceful world of 1894.
Question 15.
What kind of people did Charley ‘See’ at the third level? (2011 Outside Delhi, 2010 Comptt. Having
worked late at the office Charley decided to take a train back home. So he came to Grand Central
Station and from the second level he got lost while ducking into an arched doorway and found
himself inside a tunnel. This tunnel took him to another light of stairs and he found himself on the
VB

third level of the station. As compared to the second level, the third level had smaller rooms, fewer
ticket windows and train gates. Everyone there was dressed in ‘eighteen-ninety-something’. Charley
came across men and women wearing 19th century dresses. Men sported fancy moustaches,
beards and sideburns. Tiny lapels, four-button suits, derby hats and pocket gold watches seemed to
be in vogue. Women were wearing fancy cut sleeves, long skirts and high-buttoned shoes. Charley
was confused to see people sporting old-fashioned clothes and hair styles at the third level.
Question 16.
How does Charley make his description of the third level very realistic? (2013 Comptt. Delhi)
To make his description of the third level very realistic, Charley describes its minute details, vividly
comparing it to the second level of the Grand Central station. He says the rooms here were smaller.
There were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth was wooden and old-
looking. He also gives a detailed description about the people he saw at the third level and their
dresses. He says the people wore nineteenth century dresses; many men had beards, sideburns and
fancy moustaches. He also buys tickets to Galesburg, Illinois thus making the reader believe that he

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was actually at the third level.

Question 17.
What is being inferred from Sam’s letter to Charley? (2003 Delhi)
Sam’s letter to Charley is dated 18th July, 1894. It is written from Galesburg, Illinois. In response to
Charley’s claim of having visited the third level, Sam who is equally insecure wishes the entire
episode is true, as he too believes in the existence of the third level. There are some inferences
made by the letter. The introductory part of the letter confirms Charley’s belief in the existence of the
third level. It also suggests that those who find the third level can travel across to Galesburg and
enjoy the festivities, songs, music and peaceful world of the 1890s. So the author uses Sam’s letter
as a unique combination of the real and fantasy world.
THE TIGER KING
By Kalki

About the author

Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy was a Tamil writer, journalist, poet, critic and Indian independence

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activist. He was born on September 9, 1899. He was better known by his pen name Kalki. He derived
his pen name Kalki from the suffixes of his wife name Kalyani and his name Krishnamurthy. His
writings includes over 120 short stories, 10 novelettes, 5 novels, 3 historical romances, editorial and
political writings and hundreds of film and music reviews. Krishnamurthy’s father was Ramaswamy
Aiyar, a poor accountant in Puttamangalam village in the old Tanjor district of erstwhile Madras
Presidency. Krishnamurthy began his primary education in his village school and later attended
Municipal High School in Mayavaram but quit in 1921 for joining Gandhiji’s call for non-co-operation.
He died on December 5, 1954.
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Introduction
The story ‘The Tiger King’ is a satire on the pride and stubbornness of those in power. The writer
takes us to the days of autocratic and eccentric kings. These kings lived under the thumb rule of
British, hence they fear them. Most of the time the rulers were not interested in serving the people
and working for the welfare of the public; instead they spent their time in foolish pursuits. They
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flouted all laws and bent them to suit their selfish interests. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram tried
to belie what was written in his fate. The chief astrologer had predicted that the cause of his death
would be a tiger. The King tried his best to belie the prediction. His campaign of tiger-hunting was
very successful. All his strategies and wise plans worked till he killed 99 tigers. But the hundredth
tiger eluded him till his death.
The irony of fate brings quite an unexpected end of the Maharaja. The hero who killed ninety nine
tigers couldn’t kill the only one that was left. The last tiger he thought to be dead survived. The King’s
bullet had missed its mark. Ironically, the hundredth tiger which caused his death was not a
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ferocious beast of blood and flesh. It was a wooden tiger. One of the slivers of wood pierced his
right hand and caused infection and a suppurating sore. It ultimately led to his death.
Theme
Animals and birds are as much part of the nature as human beings. The destruction or haphazard
killing of one species may not only lead to its extinction, but it will adversely affect the ecological
balance. Those animals which serve as food for the wild animals, will increase in
large number, if the beast of prey are wiped out. Each species, howsoever fierce, deadly, ferocious or
poisonous has its role in maintaining ecological balance in nature.
Characters
1. The Tiger King: a hero of the story, the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram, also known as His Highness
Jamedar, General Khiledar-Major, Sata-Vyaghra samhari, Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana samrat, Sir
Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K.
2. Crown prince: a ten day old baby who later became the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram.
3. Chief astrologer: a royal foreteller of the state.
4. Durai: means “chief, leader” in Tamil.

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5. A British high ranking officer & his secretary

6. Dewan: a chief administrative office of the Maharaja.
7. Duraisani: the wife of the high ranking British officer, a greedy woman who takes all the 50 or so
diamond rings for herself.
Summary
The Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bhadur was called “Tiger King”. When he was just 10 day old, he
asked intelligent questions to the astrologers and was told that he would be killed by a tiger. He
uttered “Let tigers beware!”
No other miracle took place, the child grew like any other Royal child drinking white cow’s milk. He
was taught by an English tutor and looked after by an English nanny. He watched English films.
When he was 20, he was crowned as king. It was then the prediction of his death by the tiger reached
the Maharaja’s ear and he in turn to safe guard himself killed a tiger and being thrilled he told the
astrologer who replied that he can kill 99 tigers but should be careful with the 100th. He pledged that
all other affairs of the state would be attended after killing the hundred tigers.
Then he started killing tigers. None except Maharaja was allowed to hunt tigers. A high-ranking

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British officer visited the state that was fond of hunting tigers and his wish was declined. The officer
requested for getting a photograph with a tiger killed by Maharaja and this request was rejected. So
to please the officer’s wife, he sent 50 diamond rings expecting that she would take one or two,
instead she kept all the rings costing 3 lakh rupees and sent ‘thanks’ to the Maharaja. But his state
was secured.
In 10 years, he killed 70 tiger and didn’t find any in Pratibandapuram so he decided to marry a girl
from royal state which had more tigers to complete his target. Whenever he visited his in-laws, he
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killed 5-6 tigers. So he killed 99 tigers and was feverishly anxious to kill the 100th but couldn’t find.
News about the presence of a tiger near a village proved disappointing. He asked his Dewan to find
the tiger otherwise face his anger. Now the Dewan was afraid of losing his job so he visited ‘People’s
Park in Madras’ and brought an old tiger and placed it in the forest and informed the Maharaja.
The Maharaja took great care and shot the tiger and left the place with great triumph. The bullet did
not hit the tiger but out of fear the tiger had collapsed. Now the staff killed the tiger and brought it in
grand procession.
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It was the third birthday of the Maharaja’s son and he wanted to buy a present from the toyshop. He
bought a wooden tiger which was poorly carved. While the Maharaja was playing with the prince, a
tiny sliver of the wooden tiger pierced his right hand which later on caused his death. Thus the
hundredth tiger takes his final revenge upon the “Tiger King”.

Main points
1. When the Prince at ‘Pratibandhpuram’ was born – Astrologers predicted that he would be killed by
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100th tiger, to prove the astrologer wrong he killed the first tiger and challenged the prediction.
2. The astrologer said that the 100th tiger would kill him. The Maharaj put all his Estate duties aside
and set upon killing 100 Tigers.
3. When all the Tigers in his Estate were killed, he married a princess whose father had many Tigers
his forests.
4. He even spent Rs. 3 lakhs to please a British officer who wanted to hunt tigers in his estate.
5. Finally, the hundredth tiger was killed, the Maharaja was very happy & then decided to spend time
with his son.
6. He bought a wooden toy tiger on his son’s third Birthday – toy was made up by an unskilled
carpenter. One of slivers pierced his right hand – developed an infection – operated & died.
7. Irony – killed 99 tigers but wooden tiger took its revenge.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Who is the Tiger King?
Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the Tiger King of the story. He was known in his kingdom

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by different names as His Highness Jamedar, General Khiledar-Major, Sata-Vyaghra samhari,

Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana samrat, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K.
Q2. Why does the Tiger King get this name?
Ans. Tigers dominate the life and even death of the king. So he is named the tiger king. The chief
astrologer foretells that he is born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are enemies.
Therefore, his death will come from the Tiger. Ironically, the king who killed 99 tigers, his death was
caused by a wooden toy tiger.
Q3. What was the miracle that took place in the royal palace?
Ans. When the Maharaja was a 10 day old baby, he spoke and asked intelligent questions about his
death. After knowing that he would be killed by a tiger, he uttered saying “Let tigers beware.”
Q4. How did the chief astrologer react to the tiger king’s question about the manner of his death?
How did the tiger king take it?
Ans. When the baby barely ten days old, opens its lips in speech. The chief astrologer was
wonderstruck. He thought it to be incredible that the baby raised an intelligent question –to know
about the manner of his death. The astrologer told that the prince was born in the hour of the bull.

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The bull and tiger are enemies. Therefore, death to him shall come from the Tiger. The tiger king
growled, “Let tigers beware!”
Q5. How was the Tiger King brought up?
Ans. As a child the Tiger King was brought up by an English nanny and tutored by an Englishman. He
was given the milk of an English cow. He watched only English movies.
Q6. Why was it celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram?
Ans. There was a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram because the state
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banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja and a proclamation was issued to the effect
that if any one dared to fling a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be seized.
Q7. What did the State astrologer say he would do ‘if the hundredth tiger were also killed’?
Ans. The State astrologer was so sure of his prediction that he announced that he would cut off his
ceremonial tuft, crop his hair short and become an insurance agent in case the king was able to kill
the 100th tiger, too. He was sure that the Maharaja’s death would be caused by the 100th tiger.
Q8. What did the high-ranking British officer wish to do? Was his wish fulfilled?
CA
Ans. The high-ranking British officer wanted to kill a tiger. When he was denied the permission for
hunting, he sent a word to the king that he would be happy if he was allowed to get photographed
with the dead body of a tiger killed by the king. However, his wish remained unfulfilled.
Q9. How did the Maharaja manage to save his throne?
Ans. The Maharaja had annoyed the visiting senior British officer over the issue of tiger-hunting and
‘stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself’. So, the Maharaja and the Dewan decided to please the
officer through bribe by sending gifts of expensive diamond rings to the duraisani, the wife of the
British officer. Thus he managed to save his throne.
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Q10. What did the Maharaja do when he stood in danger of losing his kingdom?
Ans. The Maharaja obtained some fifty expensive diamond rings of different designs from a British
Jewellery Company in Calcutta and sent them to the British officer’s good lady expecting her to
choose one or two rings and send the rest back. But she kept all the rings and thanked the Maharaja
for the gift. This cost the Maharaja three lakh rupees but his kingdom was saved.
Q11. How did the ‘duraisani’ behave on receiving the gifts?
Ans. Some fifty samples of expensive diamond rings were sent to the duraisani and it was expected
that she would select one or two and return the rest. But the lady proved to be greedy as she
retained all of them and merely sent a letter of thanks.
Q12. Why did the Maharaja’s tiger killing mission come to a sudden still?
Ans. Within ten years Maharaja’s tiger hunting had resulted in the killing of seventy tigers. However
his tiger killing mission came to a sudden standstill because the tiger population became extinct in
the forest of Pratibandapuram.
Q13. What plan did the Maharaja think of to fulfill his vow to kill hundred tigers after the tiger

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population became extinct in his state?

Ans. When the tiger population became extinct in his state the Maharaja planned to marry a girl of
royal family of a native state with a large tiger population so that he would kill the remaining thirty
tigers in the state of his father-in-law when he visits that.
Q14. Why did Maharaja order the dewan to double the tax?
Ans. The Maharaja called the dewan and ordered him to immediately double the tax of the villagers
who had informed him of a tiger in the forest because despite his best efforts he was unable to
locate the beast. This infuriated the Maharaja.
Q15. What was the happy news which dispelled the Maharaja’s gloom?
Ans. Sheep began to disappear frequently from a hillside village. It was not the work of Khader Mian
Saheb and Virasami Naicker who were famous for killing sheep. The Maharaja announced a three-
year exemption from all taxes for that village. The Maharaja refused to leave the forest until the tiger
was found.
Q16. Why did the dewan warn the Maharaja not to double the land tax forthwith? What was the
reaction of the Maharaja?

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Ans. The hundredth tiger was not located. The Maharaja’s anger was at its height. He called the
dewan and ordered him to double the land-tax forthwith. The dewan warned that the people would
rise in revolt. Then their state too would fall a prey to the Indian National Congress. The king didn’t
relent. He told the dewan that in that case he might resign from his post.
Q17. How did the tiger king celebrate his victory over the killing of the 100th tiger?
Ans. The Maharaja thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger. He was overcome with elation. He
ordered the tiger to be brought to the capital in grand procession. The dead tiger was taken in a
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procession through the town. It was buried and a tomb was erected over it.
Q18. What was the Dewan’s tiger like? How did he take it into the forest?
Ans. Dewan’s tiger was an old tiger. It was not ferocious and agile. It was passive and exhausted. He
was pushed down to the ground. He wandered into the Maharaja’s presence and stood as if in
humble supplication. The tiger was kept hidden in Dewan’s house. At midnight when the town slept
in peace, the Dewan and his wife dragged the tiger into the car drove straight to the forest.
Q19. Why did the Dewan decide to give up his own tiger to be killed by the Maharaja?
CA
Ans. The Maharaja’s anxiety had reached a fever pitch. The hundredth tiger was yet to be killed. The
Dewan could lose his job if he couldn’t search the tiger. He had brought a tiger from the People’s
Park in Madras and kept hidden in his house. He dragged the tiger to the forest where the Maharaja
was hunting.
Q20. Why didn’t the hunters tell the King that the tiger was not dead?
Ans. The Maharaja thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger. He didn’t know that his bullet had
missed the mark. The beast was killed not by him but by one of the hunters. However, they kept it a
secret. They feared losing their jobs if the Maharaja knew the truth.
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Q21. Why did the shopkeeper charge three hundred rupees from the Maharaja while the actual
price of the wooden tiger was just two annas and a quarter?
Ans. The wooden tiger cost only two annas and a quarter. But the shopkeeper feared to quote such a
low price to the Maharaja. He could be punished under the rules of Emergency. So he presented it as
a rare example of craftsmanship. He charged three hundred rupees as its Price.
Q22. How did the hundredth tiger take its revenge upon the Tiger King?
Ans. The king decided that a wooden toy-tiger was a perfect gift for his son’s third birthday. One day
he was playing with that wooden tiger. One of the slivers pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. Infection
spread all over the arm. Three surgeons performed an operation but couldn’t save the King. Thus,
the hundredth tiger took its revenge upon the King.
Q23. What did the Maharaja buy as a birthday gift for his son?
Ans. The Maharaja wished to give his son a very special gift on his birthday and he bought a wooden
toy tiger as a perfect birthday gift for his son.
Q24. How did the king’s arm become seriously infected?

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Ans. The king’s arm had got infected from a prick caused by one of the slivers on the wooden tiger.
In one day, the infection got flared in the Maharaja’s right hand and in four days it developed into a
suppurating sore which spread all over the arm. Though he was operated yet he died.
Q25. What caused the death of the Maharaja?
Ans. The prophecy of the chief astrologer came true. A toy-wooden tiger-the hundredth tiger killed
the Maharaja. The silver quill on the wooden tiger pierced his hand when he was playing with it on
the crown prince’s third birthday. It caused a suppurating sore that spread all over the arm. He was
operated but died.
Long answer type questions
Q1. What impression do you form about the Tiger King after reading the story?
Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, had many titles and sub-
names. But he was popular as the Tiger King. The chief astrologer predicted that his death would
come from a tiger. Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and stronger day by day. When he
grew to twenty he took the reign in his hands.
The Maharaja continued his campaign of tiger-hunting with rare singlemindedness. Within a span of

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ten years he killed 70 tigers. It was his master strategy to marry a girl of a state which had a large
tiger population. So he was able to kill 99 tigers in all.
The Tiger King could pay any price to maintain his kingdom. He had to give a bribe worth three lakh
rupees to a high ranking British official to retain his kingdom.
The Maharaja knew how to take work from his minions. He used the dewan to find out the suitable
girl for his marriage. He could be hot-headed and doubled the tax on the people. He also threatened
the dewan to dismiss him from his service. It is ironical that the King met his death by a wooden
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tiger. At last, the hundredth tiger took revenge upon him.
Q2. How did his campaign of tiger hunting continue? How was he avenged by the hundredth tiger?
Ans. The Maharaja was forced to start the campaign of killing a hundred tigers in self-defence. The
chief astrologer had predicted that his death would be caused by a tiger. Particularly, he was advised
to be careful with the hundredth tiger. The Maharaja’s campaign was a great success. He could kill
seventy tigers in ten years. Then an unseen obstacle brought his campaign to a halt. The tiger
population in the forests of Pratibandapuram became extinct. The Maharaja adopted a new strategy.
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The Maharaja married a girl from a state with a large tiger population. Very soon his tally reached 99,
just one short of the required hundred.
Ironically, the Tiger King’s death came from the hundredth tiger. It was a toy-tiger made of wood. He
had presented a wooden tiger to his son on his third birthday. One of the slivers pierced the
Maharaja’s right hand. Infection spread all over the arm. Three surgeons operated on him but
couldn’t save him from dying. At last the astrologer’s prediction came true. The hundredth tiger took
its revenge upon the king.
Q3. The Tiger King is a satire on the pride and power 0f Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. Describe
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the use of dramatic irony leading to the death of the Tiger King.
Ans. The Tiger King is a satire on the pride and stubbornness of those in power. The Maharaja of
Pratibandapuram tried to belie what was written in his fate. The chief astrologer had predicted that
the cause of his death would be a tiger. Not that the King didn’t try his best to belie the prediction.
His campaign of tiger-hunting was very successful. He was single minded and determined. But the
satirical aspect of the whole story is the King’s inability to kill the hundredth tiger. All his strategies
and wise plans worked till he killed 99 tigers. But the hundredth tiger eluded him till his death.
The irony of fate brings quite an unexpected end of the Maharaja. The hero who killed ninety nine
tigers couldn’t kill the only one that was left. The last tiger he thought to be dead survived. The King’s
bullet had missed its mark. Ironically, the hundredth tiger which caused his death was not a
ferocious beast of blood and flesh. It was a wooden tiger. One of the slivers of wood pierced his
right hand and caused infection and a suppurating sore. It ultimately led to his death.
Q4. Why did the Maharaja’s anxiety reach a fever pitch? What steps were taken to hunt the
hundredth tiger?

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Ans. The Maharaja’s anxiety reached a fever pitch. One more tiger was to be killed to achieve his
tally of a hundred. By this time the tiger farms had run dry even in his father-in-law’s kingdom. But
soon came the happy news that dispelled his gloom. There was a possibility of a tiger living in a
hillside village. The Maharaja announced a three-year exemption from all taxes for that village. He
set out for hunt at once. The tiger was not found but the Maharaja refused to leave the forest.
The dewan himself was in danger of losing his job. He got a tiger arranged from the People’s Park in
Madras. The tiger was left in the forest where the Maharaja was hunting. He took a careful aim at
the beast. The tiger fell down on the ground in a heap. Then came the anti-climax. The tiger survived.
The Maharaja’s bullet missed its mark.
Unfortunately, the king didn’t know that the hundredth tiger was not killed by him. So the hundredth
tiger caused his death. Ironically, the hundredth tiger that caused his death was not a ferocious
beast. The king died of the deadly infection. A wooden toy-tiger, was the cause of his death.
Q. 5. How did the Tiger King come in the danger of losing his throne and how did he save his
kingdom?
Ans. The state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the king. Once a high ranking British officer

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visited Pratibandapuram. He was fond of hunting tigers. He liked to be photographed with the tigers
he had shot. The Maharaja was firm in his resolve. He refused permission. He was ready to organise
any other hunt. The officer could go on a boar hunt but the tiger hunt was impossible.
The British officer’s secretary sent word through the dewan. The Maharaja could do the actual killing.
The officer only wanted to be photographed holding the gun near the dead tiger. The Maharaja didn’t
relent. He prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire. The Maharaja stood in danger of losing
his kingdom itself. He held deliberations over the issue with the dewan. Samples of expensive
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diamond rings were ordered. A famous British company of jewellers in Calcutta sent fifty rings. The
Maharaja sent the whole lot to the British officer’s good lady. She was expected to choose one or
two rings. The lady kept all the rings with her. She sent her thanks to the Maharaja for the gifts. The
Maharaja was very happy. Though he had lost three lakh of rupees, he had managed to retain his
kingdom.
Even the coteries who surround these power centers are interested in taking advantage of the
proximity for their own welfare. This is a story about transience-of life, of power and reverberates the
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maxim: “Too many slips between a cup and a lip.”
Q6. Justify the title ‘The Tiger King’.
Ans. “The Tiger King” is a very appropriate title for the story for several reasons. First of all, the king
is crazy about tiger hunting so much that he marries a princess whose father’s kingdom has a
sizeable tiger population. He kills one hundred tigers just to fulfill his vow. Secondly, the king with all
his frenzy, anger and ruthlessness is as ferocious as a tiger. Thirdly, he dies of a silver prick received
from a wooden toy tiger. Finally, the prediction that a tiger would cause the king’s death also comes
true. Since the story revolves round the king and the hundred tigers that he kills, it could not be better
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titled than “The Tiger King”.

Q7. Pick out the instances of satire in the story ‘The Tiger King’.
Ans. Satire employs irony, sarcasm, ridicule, etc. in exposing and criticizing follies and vices in men.
The story uses humour to criticize self-seeking Kings who willfully exploit both nature and their
subjects for sefish interests.
1. When the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram was told that he would be killed by a tiger, he could never
imagine the twist in fate where a toy tiger could be fatal. Because of his conceit, he was unprepared
for such surprises flung by life at him.
2. The grandeur associated with a king’s life proves a mockery. The news of the king’s ailment
invited not one, but three surgeons. They got so tied up in technicalities that they declared the
operation successful even though the king died.
3. The story also satirizes the corrupting influence of power. Just because the Tiger King had power,
he felt he could browbeat his subjects and even defeat fate. He neglected his responsibility as a
ruler. He neglected the welfare of his subjects, his family, increased and reduced taxes at will and

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sacked his officers. They feared him or else he would have learnt the truth.
4. When we see the king gloating over his bravery after killing the hundredth old, weak tiger, we
notice that Kalki is satirizing the notions of cowardice and bravery. There is no heroism in fighting an
unequal battle. The King’s cowardice was obvious when he justifies that one may kill even a cow in
self-defence.
5. Kalki is also criticizing the King’s men and subjects who pander to his whims out of fear or like the
shopkeeper manipulate and fool him.
Q8. Where do you find humour in the story ‘Tiger King’?
Ans. 1. The instance of the Stuka bomber
2. The king’s offer of mouse hunt.
3. The incoherent blabbering by the Dewan and the Chief Astrologer
4. The Dewan procuring an old tiger from people’s park and its stubborn refusal to get off the car
and the description of its waiting in humble supplication to be shot.
5. The shopkeeper quoting three hundred rupees for a cheap two annas and a quarter toy tiger
Q9. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of

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human beings?
Ans. Through this satirical story the author has rightly portrayed how human beings have subjected
innocent animals to untold torture and death, merely to fulfill their own whims and fancies. The
maharaja’s indiscriminate killing of tigers led to their extinction in some states, but the maharaja
was oblivious to the grave consequences his action was leading to. In order to prove an astrologer
wrong the maharaja went on a killing spree proving his dominance over the hapless animals.
Q10. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find
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them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him?
Ans. Maharaja’s minions were subservient and sycophantic. Most of them were scared of Maharaja
and tried to keep him in good humour by obeying his orders. They did not dare to disobey him as his
displeasure could mean loss of their job or even loss of their lives.
The astrologer was afraid of predicting his death, till Maharaja told him to “speak without fear”.
Dewan who should have advised the king not to kill the tigers did not dare to go against his wishes
and aided his marriage to a princess whose father’s kingdom possessed a large number of tigers.
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Being afraid of losing his job, he presented an old tiger to satisfy the whims of his Maharaja.
Likewise, the hunters chose not to inform him of the survival of the 100th tiger and instead killed it
themselves fearing that they might lose their jobs. Even the shopkeeper, who sold the king a cheap
wooden toy tiger, quoted a higher price lest he should be punished under the rules of emergency. So,
it is evident that the king’s minions were driven by fear rather than any feelings of sincerity towards
their ruler.
Journey to the end of the Earth
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Summary :
The story begins with the author on a journey in a Russian vessel. It was headed towards Antarctica.
We learn that the author has travelled about 100 hours in a car, aeroplane as well as the ship. The
main objective of this trip is to learn everything in detail about Antarctica. Further, we learn about her
two-week stay there and what all is present there. The place stores 90% of the earth’s total ice
volumes with no trees, buildings or anything. It has 24-hour austral summer light. Moreover, it is
covered in silence.
This makes the author wonder about the time when India and Antarctica were the same landmass’s
part. We learn about the existence of a southern supercontinent, Gondwana. It existed for six
hundred and fifty million years ago. We learn that the climate back then was much warmer and also
sustained a huge variety of flora and fauna.
All this was before the arrival of human beings. Moreover, for 500 million years, Gondwana
flourished. Thus, after the extinction of dinosaurs, the landmass separated into countries, as we

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know today. Moreover, we also learn about the reality of climate change. Similarly, the author
believes that to study the impact closely, one must make a visit to Antarctica.
After that, we learn about Antarctica’s ecosystem and how it lacks biodiversity. Moreover, it is the
place to observe if you wish to see what consequences a little action can bring about in the
environment. If the ozone layer keeps depleting at the present rate, it will impact the lives of the
inhabitants of the area like the sea-animals and birds. Moreover, it will also impact the global carbon
cycle.
We learn about the contributors to climate change, like the burning of fossil fuels and more. All this
is damaging the quality of Antarctica and this may cause immense danger to human life. Moreover,
we also learn about it through examples of phytoplankton. Finally, the story ends with the author
observing some seals sunbathing on ice. It makes her wonder whether this beauty will be reserved
for the years to come, or will the future be catastrophic. To sum up, Journey to End of the Earth
summary, we learn in detail about climate change and how it is impacting our lives and of other
living beings dangerously, it serves as a wakeup call to start working to make the planet a healthier

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place.
Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
Question 1.
How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?
Geological phenomena helps us to know more and more about the history of humankind as only
through it we come to know about the present, past and future of the Earth. How life was then and
gradually how it shaped now. Scientists admit that world’s geological history is trapped under the
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layers of Antarctica.
Question 2.
What are the indications for the future of human kind?
Deplection of ozone layer, Reforestation, melting of glaciers, and the collapse of ice shelves clearly
give the indications for the future of mankind that it is not safe if global warming continues, soon
this mankind will banish from the planet ‘Earth’.
Question 3.
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‘Akademik Shokalskiy’ was heading towards Antarctica, why?
‘Akademik Shokalskiy’, a Russian Vessel was heading towards Antarctica with a troop of 52 peoples,
to study and research the history of humankind under the guidance of Canadian Geoff Green.
Question 4.
Name the programme and its objectives.
The programme was ‘Students on Ice’ with the motive to give high school students, the educational
opportunity to do the study of Antarctica.
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Question 5.
After reaching Gondwana, what were their reactions?
They were highly exicted as they were at a remote area of the Earth where no mankind could sustain
and totally peaceful environment existed, a place without trees, billboards and buildings.
Question 6.
Gondwana existed before six hundred and fifty million years. Explain.
Six hundred and fifty million years ago, a giant amalgamated Southern super continent ‘Gondwana’
did indeed exist, centred roughly around the present- day Antarctica.
Question 7.
How is Antarctica, a subject for debate for environmentalists?
Antarctica is always a subject for debate for environmentalists because only Antarctica is
undisturbed by human beings, whether it would melt, will the Gulf Stream ocean current be disrupted
or will it be the end of the world; such many concerned issues are raised for debate.
Question 8.
How did they reach Antarctica?

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They travelled over 100 hours in combination of a car, an aeroplane and a ship. In this way, they
reached Antarctica.
Question 9.
What was wondrous about Antarctica?
Expansive white landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon and its immensity and isolation was
wondrous about Antarctica.
Question 10.
What is the pretty mind-boggling fact, one can observe?
By the study of Antarctica, the fact: India pushing north words, South America driffting off to join
North America and many others boggle the mind and produce many imaginations.
Question 11.
What types of sounds can be noticed/heard there?
The sound of occasional avalanche or calving of ice sheets can only be heard in Antarctica.
Question 12.
Why Geoff Green started to bring only students to Antarctica?

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Geoff Green noticed that celebrities and retired rich persons visit Antarctica only for entertainment
but the students, who are the future policy-makers, took interest and ready to accept the challenge.
Question 13.
Why Antarctica is the perfect place to study nature?
Antarctica is the perfect place to study nature be-cause it has simple ecosystem and lack of
biodiversity; above all, it is untouched by human beings.
Question 14.
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Why the programme ‘Students on Ice’ became so successful?’
The programme became so successful because its impossible to go anywhere near the South Pole
and not be affected by it. Through this programme, students got the educational opprotunities.
Question 15.
What is photosynthesis?
The process of converting light energy into chemical energy by plants is called photosynthesis.
Question 16.
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What various expanses did they cross to reach Antarctica?
Nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water and many ecospheres were crossed by them
to reach Antarctica.
Question 17.
What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the ‘Students on Ice’ Expedition?
Canadian Geoff Green started this programme, ‘Students on Ice’ before six years of writing this
chapter. The reasons for including high school students were to provide them most inspiring
educational opportunities which would make them aware about the depletion of our ecosystem,
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create an understanding to save our planet as those teenagers still have an ideology to absorb, learn,
and most importantly act.
Question 18.
‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves: What is the relevance
of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?
Antarctic, because of her simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study/tell
us how little changes in the environment can have big consequences. Single celled microscopic
phytoplankton use the Sun’s energy to do the process of photosynthesis. And any obstacle in this
process will affect the lives of all the marine animals and birds of that region, the global carbon cycle.
Scientists warn and advise to take care of the small things and the big things will fall into plape.
Question 19.
Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?
Only Antarctica on this earth presently is in its purest and original form as it holds in its ice-cores
half million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. Antarctica has never sustained a

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human propulation and therefore remains relatively ‘pristine’ in this respect. So Antarctica is the
place to go to understand the Earth’s present, past and future.
Long Answer Type
Question 1.
How did the writer justify the title journey to the end of the earth?
The title ‘Journey to the end of the Earth is quite justified by the writer ‘Tishani Dosi’ through this
chapter. A visit to Antarctica thrilled the whole troop and made them realized that Antarctica is the
world’s coldest, driest and windiest continent. Their visit seemed to be very fruitful because without
reaching there physically, one can’t experience the immensity and importance of Antarctica and its
great role in balancing the ecosystem.
Writer found Antarctica still undisturbed by human beings and tried to understand where we’ve come
from and where we could possibly be heading; through the deep study of this island. Writer
presumed that without controlling the rapidly increasing global warming; we can’t stop the melting of
ice specially glaciers and as it is known that Antarctica covers 90 per cent of the Earth’s ice, its
sustainment is mandatory. Or in near future, Antarctica would be responsible (if not ceased the

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global warming) for the ruination of the Earth’s lives and in this way, the end of the Earth would be
brought by Antarctica.
Question 2.
Describe the journey to the Antarctica by the Vessel ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’.
The journey starts with a troop of 52 peoples under the guidance of experienced Canadian Geoff
Green, an educator and adventurer. He started the mission ‘Students on Ice’ to aware the teenagers
about the present need of the escapement of Antarctica. Akademik Shokalskiy, a Russian Vessel
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headed towards the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world: Antarctica.
Journey began 13.09 degress North of the equator in Madras, and involved crossing nine time zones,
six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and at least as many ecospheres. They trevelled over 100
hours in combination of a car, an aeroplane and a ship and finally they reached to view Antarctica’s
expansive white landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon where immensity and isolation made
them wondorous and tireless.
Question 3.
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‘Take care of small things and big will take care of themselves’. What is the relevance of this
statement in the context of the Antarctica?
The small things are having their own importance at their own place. Small things are combined
produce their effect on big things. As phytoplankton are very tiny single-celled plants, but they
nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food proceedings, s Phytoplankton is the grass of
Southern Ocean and 1 through the process of photosynthesis, they convert light energy into the
chemical energy and supply food and provide oxygen to all the marine life (animals and birds). So
very tiny plants are responsible for the survival of the life.
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But global warming can affect the activity of these plants and also the whole ecosystem of the Earth.
Sun’s energy is used to assimilate carbon and synthesize organic compounds by these plants. The
rapidly increasing depletion of the Ozone layer will surely adversely affect this natural system. By any
means, the depletion should be stopped to preserve our ecological balance and save whole mankind
and all creatures from extinction. So, opening our eyes, we should take care of little things to care
the big things automatically and naturally.
Question 4.
‘A lot can happen in a million years, but what a difference a day makes’. Explain.
The author with a troop of 52 peoples visited the Earth’s coldest, driest and windiest continent of the
world i.e. Antarctica where she was highly exicted finding the untouched, unhumane land without
trees, billboards and buildings. The history of the world started from Antarctica itself and the secret
of evolution and extinction can be studied through the study of Antarctica.
There is a prompt need to aware ourselves with this reality that if we’ve to save the mankind from
extinction, we need to save the nature and Antartica is the best place for this purpose because it is

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covering 90 per cent of the Earth’s ice and hiding, under its layers, the mystery of the world. Writer
spent two weeks with a group of teenagers under the leadership of Canadion Geoff Green, and after
assuming the need of action, said, that a lot could happen in a million years, but what a difference a
day makes.
Question 5.
Geoff Green, a Canadian explorer and educator started to include high school students on the
expedition ‘Students on Ice’. Explain why?
Geoff Green, who, since -the starting, started to include celebrities, retired rich, curiosity-seekers to
the Antarctica but they remained unhappy and dis-satisfied and also those men in power and
position did not understand the problems facing mankind. They never gave any response in return
and didn’t seem worried about the ecology.
Geoffs efforts remained futile and totally time wastage could be noticed. Geoff, then started to
inculude the learners, willing persons and school students for the mission and it was also an
opportunity for beginners to study more and more about our planet and ecosystem. These
youngsters seem ready to absorb, learn and act immediately.

DU
They realize the threat of global warming and can actually do something as they are the future policy
-makers and also expected to act and solve the environmental problems. Thus, the
expedition/movement started to give its results in a positive manner and people seemed to be aware
for global warming.
Question 6.
‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us?
The study of Antarctica is useful to us in very mysterious and revealing way. Six hundred and fifty
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million years ago, ‘Gondwana’ a super continent existed, centred roughly around the present day
Antarctica. The climate was much warmer, hosting a huge variety of flora and fauna. For 500 million
years Gondwana thrived.
Around the time, the landmass was forced to separate into countries, shaping the globe much as we
know it today. A grasp of where we’ve come from and where we could possibly be heading; the
evolution and extinction, can easily be understood through the study of this region.
The Enemy
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By Pearl S.Buck
About the author
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck was an American writer and novelist. She was also known by her Chinese
name Sai Zhenzhu. She was born on June 26, 1892 in Hillsboro, West Virginia and raised in
Zhenjiang in eastern China by her Presbyterian missionary parents. Initially she was educated by her
mother and a Chinese tutor. At the age of 15 she was sent to a boarding school in Shanghai. Two
years later she entered Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. She graduated in
1914. In May, 1917 she married missionary John L. Buck; although later divorced and remarried. She
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returned to China and taught English literature in Chinese universities from 1925 to 30. During that
time she briefly resumed studying in the United States at Cornell University, where she took an M.A.
in 1926.
As the daughter of missionaries, Buck spent most of her life before 1934 in Zhenjiang, China. After
returning to the United States in 1935, she continued writing prolifically and became a prominent
advocate of the rights of women and minority groups, and wrote widely on Asian cultures. Her novel
The Good Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the United States in 1931 and 1932 and won the
Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. She was the first
American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. She died on March 6, 1973 in Danby, Vermont.
Introduction
The story highlights how a Japanese doctor saves the life of an American prisoner of war and rises
above narrow national prejudices. He risks his honour, career, position and life by sheltering a war
prisoner of the enemy camp and saving his life. The author has beautifully portrayed the conflict in
the doctor’s mind as a private individual and as a citizen with a sense of national loyalty.

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Setting
The story takes place on a coastal town of Japan in the year 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl
Harbor. A war going on between America and Japan. Japanese were hostile to the Americans and
ready to kill any American found in their soil.
Theme: ‘The Enemy’ gives the message that humanism transcends all man made prejudices and
barriers. Dr. Sadao upholds the ethics of medical profession in treating an enemy. The story is a
great lesson of peace, love, sympathy, fellow feeling and humanism.
Characters
1. Dr. Sadao Hoki: A Japanese doctor trained by Americans.
2. Sadao’s father: much concerned about his son’s education, a true patriot.
3. Hana: Wife of Dr. Sadao, met in America, became friends and got married in Japan.
4. Tom: An American prisoner of war, a soldier of U.S. Navy.
5. The old General: a sick Japanese army General, needed an operation, trusted only Dr. Sadao.
6. An officer: A messenger of the General.
7. Gardener: an old gardener in the house of Dr. Sadao.

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8. Yimi: Hana’s maid servant.
9. The cook: an old cook in the house of Dr. Sadao.
Place
House of Dr. Sadao:a house built on a narrow beach near the sea.
Summary
Sadao was a Japanese surgeon. He studied in America and returned with Hana, a Japanese girl
whom he met there, and married her in Japan and settled down comfortably. While most of the
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doctors were sent to serve the Japanese army in the World War II, Sadao was allowed to stay home
because he was wanted by the old General who was dying.
But one night into his uneventful life came an American Navy-man, shot, wounded and dying. Though
unwilling to help his enemy, Sadao took the young soldier into his house and provided him with
medical aid. He was in danger from that moment. Soon his servants left him. Dr. Sadao saw that the
soldier was getting well and absolutely alright.
Once his patient was no more in need of him, the doctor turned out to be his assassin, conspiring to
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kill him in his sleep. He informed the General of the American and the General promised, he would
send his private men to kill the American. Sadao awaited the American’s death every morning but to
his gloom the man was still alive, healthier and posing danger to him.
At this point Sadao becomes the real man in him, a true human being who realizes the essential
worth of human life and universal brotherhood. He thinks beyond countries and continents and races
and wars. He finds no reason to believe that the American is his enemy. Sadao rescues the
American. Thus Sadao rises above narrow prejudices and acts in a truly humanitarian way.
Main Points
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1. Dr. Sadao, a Japanese surgeon finds a wounded American soldier on the beach near his house.
2. He is unable to throw him back into sea though he was his enemy. Being a doctor, his first duty
was to save a life.
3. Hana, his wife though initially reluctant joins her husband in operating and nursing the enemy
soldier back to health.
4. It is dangerous to keep the enemy in the house so all the servants left. Hana does the housework
alone.
5. The General did not send Sadao with the troops as he is an expert surgeon and the General might
need him any time for an emergency operation.
6. Even General comes to know that Sadao is harbouring his enemy, he does not take any action and
suggest that he would send his private assassins to kill the enemy and remove his body.
7. Dr. Sadao performs an emergency operation and succeeds.
8. The General promises a reward and saves the life of Dr. Sadao who in return helps the American
soldier escape in his boat.

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Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What did Dr. Sadao and his wife see when they stood out looking at the sea?
Ans. Dr. Sadao and Hana were standing out facing the sea. Mist had gathered around their house.
Suddenly they saw something black coming out of the sea. He was crawling on his hands and knees.
Then suddenly he fell down on his face and lay there motionless. They went to see him. When they
turned his face, they were shocked to see a white soldier. They read the print writing on the cap. “U.S.
Navy”. The man was a prisoner of war.
Q2. In what condition was the American sailor when Dr. Sadao found him?
Ans. The American soldier was wounded. He was very weak and pale. He had a wound of a gun and
had the bullet stuck in his wound. His face looked tortured and his back was stained with blood
flowing from the wound. The wound was black and was also stuck by the rocks. He was almost at
the verge of death if Sadao had not saved hi
Q3. What was the chief concern of Sadao’s father and what did he do for it?
Ans. Sadao’s education was the chief concern of his father. He never joked or played with the boy.
He worried about his education only. When Sadao was twenty-two, he was sent to America to learn

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all he could of surgery and medicine.
Q4. Why was Sadao not sent to the battlefield?
Ans. Sadao was a famous surgeon and scientist. He was perfecting a discovery that could make
wounds entirely clean. Moreover, he was treating the old General medically, and the General could
need an operation also. That was why Sadao was not sent abroad with the troops.
Q5. Who was Hana and where did Sadao meet her?
Ans. Hana was Sadao’s wife. Sadao had met her in America at the house of a professor where some
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foreign students lived. But he had waited to fall in love with her until he was sure she was Japanese.
Q6. How did foreign students feel at Professor Harley’s house?
Ans. Professor Harley and his wife were kind people. They were anxious to help their few foreign
students. But the students felt bored there. The rooms there were very small and the food was also
no good. And the professor’s wife was very talkative.
Q7. How did Sadao and Hana get married?
Ans. Sadao met Hana in America. He liked her but he waited to fall in love with her. He wanted to be
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sure that she was a Japanese. His father, too, was very particular in such matters. Both Sadao and
Hana came back to Japan after finishing their studies. Their marriage was arranged in the old
Japanese way.
Q8. Why do you think Dr. Sadao’s father was a very traditional and conventional man?
Ans. Like a traditional and conventional person, Sadao’s father did all he could for the education of
his son. Even in the marriage of his son, he was very traditional and conventional. He accepted Hana
as his daughter-in-law only when he found that she was of the pure Japanese race. He arranged the
marriage in the old Japanese way.
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Q9. What did Sadao notice about the white wounded man? How did he stop its bleeding?
Ans. Sadao noticed that it was a gun wound that had reopened. The man had been shot some days
ago and had not been tended. Now a rock had struck the wound and it had started bleeding. Sadao
took some sea moss lying on the beach. He packed the wound with it and thus stopped the bleeding.
Q10. What did Sadao and his wife want to do with the white man after he had stopped his bleeding?
Why?
Ans. Japan was at war with America. Thus if Sadao and his wife sheltered the white man in their
house, they would be arrested. But if they turned him over as a prisoner, he was sure to be killed.
Therefore, they thought the best thing would be to put him back into the sea.
Q11. Why did Yumi defy the orders of Hana?
Ans. Hana asked the maid servant Yumi to wash the wounded dirty man with warm water. Finding a
white man she became stubborn as she had never washed a white man. So she was determined not
to wash him. Hana cried at her sternly but Yumi had a fierce look of resistance on her round face.
Then Hana decided to do it with her own hands and asked her to return back.

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Q12. How did the gardener react about the wounded American soldier?
Ans. The old gardener was a superstitious person. He said that the white man ought to die. First he
was shot. Then the sea caught him and wounded him with her rocks. It showed the man was fated
to die and they had no business to save him.
Q13. Why did servants leave sadao’s house?
Ans. Dr. Sadao had given an enemy soldier shelter in his house. None of his servants liked it. They
looked upon all white Americans as their enemies. When they saw that Dr. Sadao was not going to
hand over the man to the police, they left his house.
Q14. How did Hana help Dr. Sadao while he operated upon the enemy soldier?
Ans. Hana was very much helpful while the operation was on. She dipped a small clean towel into
the steaming hot water and washed his face. She was requested to give the anesthetic if needed.
With the help of instruments from his emergency bag, Sadao made a clean and precise incision. The
bullet was out and the doctor declared that the man would live.
Q15. At what point of time does Sadao decide to get the enemy out of his house?
Ans. The General had known about the presence of the enemy in Sadao’s house. He had forgotten

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his promise to send his personal assassins to kill the enemy. The enemy had recovered. Sadao had
given him a lease of life. He had no desire see the enemy killed. Therefore, he decided to get the
enemy out of his house and reach the nearby island.
Q16. Why did the messenger come to Dr. Sadao? What did Hana think about it?
Ans. The General was very ill. He was in pain and required medical treatment immediately. He had
faith only in Sadao’s medical capabilities. With his orders, the messenger came to Dr. Sadao. Hana
thought that the General would penalise her husband for giving shelter to an enemy.
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Q17. In what context does Hana remember the cruel nature of General Takima?
Ans. Hana remembers General Takima in the context of the sufferings of the prisoners of war.
Moreover she knew that he was a ruthless despot. At home he beat his wife very cruelly. But no one
mentioned it then because he had won a victory in the battle of Manchuria.
Q18. Why did the General spare the American soldier?
Ans. The General was in great pain and had to be operated on. In his own pain, he forgot all about
the American soldier. So we can’t say that he spared the American soldier. He had only forgotten
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about him.
Q19. How did the old General offer to help sadao in getting rid of the white man?
Ans. The General said that he had his private assassins. He would send two of them any night. He
said, “They are very capable assassins — they make no noise and they know the trick of inward
bleeding. If you like, I can even have them remove the body.”
Q20. What instructions were given by Dr. Sadao to the American before he left for the sea?
Ans. Sadao instructed him to row and stay on the island for the arrival of a Korean fishing boat. He
advised him not to bum any fire for fear of being caught. He gave him his flash light and told to
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signal two flashes. In case he ran short of food or still he was on the island, one flash would suffice.
He sternly warned him to flash the light only at the sunset and never during the darkness.
Q21. What message does ‘The Enemy’ give?
Ans. ‘The Enemy’ gives the message that humanism transcends all man made prejudices and
barriers. Here Dr. Sadao upholds the ethics of medical profession in treating an enemy. The story is
a great lesson of peace, love, sympathy, fellow feeling and humanism.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. 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.
Ans. As private individuals, we have our own ideas. We have our own likes and dislikes. But as
citizens of a state, we have a duty to be loyal and law-abiding. But sometimes a conflict arises in our
mind. There is one thing we want to do as an individual. But our national loyalty demands from us
quite the opposite. The choice becomes hard to make on such occasions. This is what happens with
Sadao in the story, ‘The Enemy. As a doctor, he has been trained not to let a man die if he can help it.

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A doctor is not supposed to kill a patient even if the patient happens to be his enemy. But as a loyal
citizen of Japan, he must not give shelter to an enemy. He must hand him over to the police at once.
All through the story, Sadao struggles with this conflict. He himself admits, “In fact, I do not know
why I am doing it.”
Q2. How would you explain the reluctance of the soldier to leave the shelter of the doctor’s home
even when he knew he couldn’t stay there without risk to the doctor and himself?
Ans. Though the Doctor and his wife were Japanese, they had displayed extreme kindness towards
him. He was an American prisoner of war who had escaped and was given refuge by the kind doctor
and his wife even though this act was fraught with danger for the two of them. He had obviously
suffered at the hands of the Japanese while in prison and the scars on his neck were the evidence of
the torture that he had undergone. He was afraid that if he left their house he would be discovered
and would have to face the dire consequences, possibly further and even worse torture.
Q3. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was it human
consideration, lack of national loyalty, dereliction of duty or simply self-absorption?
Ans. Human Consideration

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In the matter of the enemy soldier, the General had taken a soft stand and spared his life as well as
imprisonment for treason in the case of Dr. Sadao on account of human consideration.
(a) The General’s humanitarian instincts made him identify with the wounded soldier, who
too, needed Dr Sadao’s medical intervention to survive.
(b) He favoured being treated by Dr. Sadao because this doctor, a humanitarian, unlike the other two
Japanese surgeons, placed saving of human life above the technical perfection of their skill.
(c) Having been to Princeton, the General had imbibed American values for human life and unlike
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most Japanese who could turn over a prisoner to execution, showed his leanings towards human
consideration in making decisions.
(d) He did not gloat over his victories in battle but rather felt weighed down by the added
responsibilities that each victory brought alongside, showing his deeply human instincts.
(e) Instead of outright action he suggests that the prisoner is killed by assassins so that both he and
Dr. Sadao are spared the agony of killing a fellow human being in cold blood.
Lack of national loyalty
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There is no lack of national loyalty as the General contemplates ways of getting rid of the enemy
under all circumstances. Though educated in Princeton, he is at heart Japanese and decides on
getting rid of the prisoner by using hired assassins who know the native technique of internal
bleeding. A true loyalist, he knew that serving his country did not mean taking lives of enemies
unnecessarily. Thus despite proclaiming to Sadao that he would arrange for assassins he trusted
Sadaos judgement in finding an alternative and effective way out of the problem. The General makes
a self-confession explaining that he had not sent the assassins because he was preoccupied with
his own health condition instead. This was a face saving answer as both the men knew that no true
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patriot kills an enemy in cold blood. The General rewards the doctor for his kindness indicating that
true patriotism is not about taking advantage of a fallen and defeated enemy.
Dereliction of duty
The General is a cool strategist who plans actions like a professional soldier. While trusting his
medical needs in his surgeon’s hands, he goes ahead and secures victories for his country. For him,
his victories in battle are not occasions of personal success but moments of introspection and
planning for the duties thrust upon him by additional victories. He knew of every move within his
command and thus was aware of the presence of the enemy and Dr. Sada
o’s medical intervention to save his life, in the spirit of humanity. His duty as an officer and a
gentleman required that he find a way that would not jeopardize his surgeon as also not give his
enemy undue advantage. He helped Dr Sadao find a solution to the problem by goading him into
action by suggesting that he was taking the extreme measure of sending hired assassins, without
actually meaning to do so.
Self-absorption

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(a) Though the General glibly says that he forgot to order the assassins to kill the prisoner,
taking cover under self-absorption with his medical condition, the following events distinctly prove
contrary to this statement.
(b) Having ascertained Dr Sadao’s capabilities as a doctor who is both humane and
technically skilled, he carries out his actions without further thought about his health.
(c) He is concerned about protecting the doctor facing the complexity of an enemy arriving at
his doorstep instead of being absorbed with the repercussions of such a matter on his own
career prospects.
(d) Even in the thick of his own illness he spares a thought about his doctor’s plight showing
his utmost concern for Dr Sadao’s welfare instead of his own.
(e) The self-absorption was a perfect ruse to make Dr Sadao devise an escape route for his patient
an enemy soldier.
Q4. While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during wartime,
what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?
Ans. Though the Doctor hated all Americans and felt superior to them, he felt that he had to do his

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best to save the life of the American prisoner of war who had got washed ashore, close to his house.
The open resentment of his domestic servants and the obvious danger of giving refuge to an
American prisoner of war did not deter him from carrying out his duties as a doctor. In this way, he
rose above the narrow prejudices of race.
Q5. Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the
circumstances?
Ans. It was indeed the best solution to the problem as in this way the American could finally escape
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the Japanese at whose hands he had already suffered, the Doctor could assuage his conscience
which would have bothered him had the General’s plan of having the American murdered, been
carried out and his wife, Hana, could feel relieved at the enemy’s departure.

On the Face of It
By Susan Hill
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About the author
Susan Hill was an English author of fiction and non-fiction works. She was born on February 5, 1942
in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became
interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry
where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar
school, Barr’s Hill. At Barrs Hill, she took A levels in English, French, History, and Latin, proceeding to
an English degree at King’s College London. By this time, she had already written her first novel, The
Enclosure, which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at the university. The novel was
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criticized by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was
unsuitable for a “schoolgirl”.
In 1975, she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells, and they moved to Stratford upon Avon.
Their first daughter, author Jessica Ruston, was born in 1977, and their second daughter, Clemency,
was born in 1985. A middle daughter, Imogen, was born prematurely, and died at the age of four
weeks. In 2013 it was reported that she had left her husband and moved in with Barbara Machin,
creator of Waking the Dead, who is adapting Hill’s crime fiction series Serrailler for ITV. Hill has
recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of
fiction.
Characters
1. Derry: a boy of 14 with a burnt face, looks ugly, loner, pessimistic, suffered from severe negative
complexes, anger and frustration, withdrawn and introverted, low confidence, indulged in self-pity,
suspicious of the intent of others
2. Mr. Lamb: an Old man with a tin leg, lonely, craved for company and acceptance, jovial, optimistic,
lover of nature, social, outgoing, tolerant, helpful, sensitive, independent, didn’t mind children calling

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him Lamey Lamb or picking the Crab apples.

3. Derry’s mother
Introduction
The play depicts a unique bond between a fourteen-year-old boy Derry and an old man Mr. Lamb.
Both of them are physically impaired. Derry’s one side of the face is burnt with acid whereas Mr.
Lamb has got a tin leg because his real leg was blown off in war. Derry is withdrawn and he does not
like being near people. He feels odd when they stare and when he sees them being afraid of him. Mr.
Lamb tells him that being secluded is not a solution to his problem. Mr. Lamb makes Derry aware of
the reality of life and encourages him in every way how he can cope with his impairment in the best
possible manner. Thus Mr. Lamb strikes up a friendship with Derry. Derry is keen to help him though
his mother persuades him not to go back to his garden. Derry goes there but finds the old man fallen
on the ground dead.
Title of the story
On the Face of it is an informal expression used to say that something seems to be good but this
opinion may need to be changed when you know more about it. An individual may be quite different

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from what we think of him or what he or she may apparently appear to be at first glance. There is the
imperative need for us to view others by removing our glasses of prejudice, hatred, hearsay and
dislike.
On the face of it, Mr. Lamb appears to be mysterious, lonely, lame old fellow who lives in a big
garden, but in reality he is very kind, generous, loving and altruistic. Similarly, although Derry has an
ugly looking scary face, he is fine lad of fourteen with a deep longing for love. There is nothing wrong
with Mr. Lamb and Derek. What is wrong is the way people in their lives and around them view and
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treat them.
Summary
This play deals with the problem of the disabled people and depicts that merely the encouraging
words may change our tensed feelings. It is for us to see and understand life in every organism. It
does not matter what we look like but it matters how we can uplift a disabled man. It is not the
actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment that troubles a disabled man but the
behaviour of the people around him. People discard him as a useless limb and refuse to accept him
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in the mainstream of life. So he feels alienated from the society and wants to live in seclusion. In a
way Derry suffers from inferiority complex. Mr. Lamb motivates him to think positively about life,
people and things.
It is a fine day and Mr. Lamb is in his garden. He is an old man with a tin leg. He leads a lonely life
and is always ready to accept any visitor who comes in his garden. One day Derry, a young boy of
fourteen sneaks into Mr. Lamb’s garden. He has a burnt face with acid so he looks very ugly. He has
become defiant and withdrawn due to his disfigured face. He does not want to face the world with
his ugly and disfigured face. Derry climbs over the wall and cautiously walks through the long grass.
VB

He is quite close to Lamb. He is sacred when Lamb speaks to him. Lamb asks him to tread carefully
because the long grass is littered with wild apples dropped by wind. Derry is utterly confused as he
has come there considering the place empty. Having been detected by Lamb, Derry panicks and
wants to go. Lamb asks him not to leave as he does not mind anybody’s coming into his garden. He
keeps the gate always open. He advises to enter through the gate rather than by climbing over the
garden wall. Lamb tells that all who come to his garden, are welcome. But Derry says that he has not
come to steal but he wants only to come into garden. He rather tells Derry not to afraid of anything
but Derry points out that the people are afraid of him because of his ugly and disfigured face. Derry
adds that he is afraid of himself when he sees his face in the mirror.
Lamb tries to console him. He asks him to face the harsh realities of life bravely. He tries to divert
the views of Derry from his burnt face to the fruits in the garden, but Derry keeps on talking about his
ugly face. Lamb tries to make him understand that it is the inner beauty of a person that matters, not
his outer beauty. Derry does not agree with it. He tells lamb that it is important to be handsome from
outside also. He says that even his mot

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her kisses him on the other side of his face. He says that he has to spend whole of his life with his
half face. Mr. Lamb points out that there is no difference between a flower plant and a weed since
both are living and growing plants. Derry remarks that Mr. Lamb can put on trousers and cover up his
tin-leg. Then Mr. Lamb reminds Derry of a fairy tale of Beauty and The Beast in which the princess
kisses the Beast who in turn changes into a handsome prince. This makes Derry understand that
ugliness is only skin deep. A man is not what he looks like but what he really is. Handsome is that
handsome does. This story is to inspire Derry and he should not care for his burnt face. But Derry
tells that people stare at his face and they are afraid of him.
Derry tells Lamb that women talk of his ugly face. They say that none will kiss except his mother. Mr.
Lamb tells him that he must have heard so many other things also. The best thing is to keep his ears
shut and need not pay attention to such talks. Mr. Lamb talks about the bees in his garden. Some
people like their buzzing while others hate. But Lamb calls it a sweet music. It is only the difference
of attitude.
Derry tells that people stare at his face so he avoids them. But Mr. Lamb tells that keeping alone is
not a fine thing. He tells a story about a man who was always afraid of being run over or getting

DU
infected or meeting with some accident. So he locked himself in a room. There a picture fell on his
head and killed him.
Derry says that his family often talks about him downstairs when he is not there. They are worried to
think what is going to happen to him when they are gone and how he will get on in this world. Mr.
Lamb does not agree with him. Lamb encourages him that he has got two arms, legs, eyes, ears, a
tongue and a brain. He can achieve whatever he likes. He can be better than others. He tells Derry
that he has got a full body. He can do anything like other people or may do better than others.
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He asks Lamb several questions to know more about him. Mr. Lamb says that he sits in the sun and
reads the books. He likes the windows open to hear the wind. Lambs tells that he has a lot of friends
everywhere. Everybody who comes in his garden is his friend. Derry wonders how a person can be
his friend about whom he knows nothing. Derry says that there are some people he hates. But Lamb
remarks that hatred would do him more harm than any bottle of acid. Acid only burns our face or so
but hatred can burn us away inside.
Lamb asks him to be a friend. Derry asks how they can be friends only in one meeting. But Lamb
CA
tells him that he can come there at any time even if he is out. Derry thinks to help him. He tells Lamb
that with one leg he can fall off a ladder and die. Derry offers to help him but he wants to inform his
mother where he is since she will be worried. Lamb doubts if he would come back. Derry assures
him to return but Lamb says to himself that people never come back though they say that they will
come back.
Derry goes back to his house and tells everything to his mother. Derry says that he wants to go there,
sit and listen to things and look. Nobody else has ever said the things the old man has said. His
mother stops him from going to the old man’s house. She tells that she has heard strange stories
VB

about the old man. She urges him not to go there again. Derry insists that he must go there
otherwise he will never go anywhere in this world. In spite of his mother’s strong resistance, Derry
slams the door and runs away to help Lamb in collecting crab apples.
In the meantime Mr. Lamb climbs on the ladder for the apples. The ladder falls back and Mr. Lamb is
killed. Derry opens the gate and says excitedly that he has come back. Suddenly he catches sight of
Mr. Lamb. He runs through the long grass and says, “I came back Lamey-Lamb. I did come back.”
But there is no response. Derry kneels by him and weeps and realizes that he has lost his only friend
in this world.
Main Points
1. Derry was a teenager, highly pessimistic and withdrawn from the mainstream society.
2. He developed this attitude after one side of his face was disfigured by acid. He avoided company
of others and remained lonely lest he be noticed by other people.
3. He believed that no one loved him and his mother loved him because she was supposed to.
4. Once he heard two women commenting about his monstrous appearance. They said only a

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mother could love a face like his.

5. On another day Derry heard his parents conversing that he would not survive after their death
because he was deformed.
6. The shock he received from these words was big.
7. On another occasion Derry heard his relatives saying that in their opinion a deformed boy like
Derry could accommodate himself with other deformed boys and girls. Derry had his ears always
open for such comments and used to respond to them in his silent way.
8. He concluded that the world altogether didn’t need a boy like him.
9. One day Derry accidently met a man called Mr. Lamb.
10. Mr. Lamb was an old man with a lame leg. After he became lame, Mr. Lamb began to develop a
positive attitude with his deformity.
11. He worked hard to defeat this impairment and learnt to walk and climb ladders. He was happy to
be alive and ignored his lameness.
12. He made everyone his friend and had a house with no curtains and open doors. He welcomed
anyone who came to him.

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13. While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as a challenge and tried to overcome it, Derry believed that
he was unwanted and lost. His pain was physical and mental. Being a child he was not as strong as
Mr. Lamb about suffering.
14. He couldn’t take the sneering and sympathizing world as taken by Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was able
to sit smart and unaffected as long as he wore trousers and sat but Derry had no way to hide his
face.
15. After meeting Mr. Lamb Derry realized how foolish he had been to believe his parents.
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16. For him Lamb was a man who opened the doors of his closed world in an hour’s time the same
of which were shut on him by his parents and therefore believed that his company with Lamb would
make him a perfect person.
17. At the end Derry goes back to his house where his mother cross questioned him. She had
instructed him not to step out of the house.
18. Derry tried to convince his mother that Mr. Lamb was an extremely good man but she was not
ready to listen.
CA
19. Ignoring his mother’s thoughtless restrictions, Derry left his home and ran to Mr. Lamb’s garden.
20. On reaching, Derry found a motionless Mr. Lamb fallen from the ladder. He had fallen while
pulling the crab apples down from the tree.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Who is Mr. Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?
Ans. Mr. Lamb is an old man who has lost his leg in the war. He lives by himself in a big house,
tending to his apples and enjoying his garden. Derry does not know that the gate of the house is
wide open, and climbs over the wall into Mr. Lamb’s garden hoping for some solitude.
VB

Q2. What is the attitude of Mr. Lamb to the small boy who comes to his garden?
Ans. Mr. Lamb’s attitude to the small boy is quite gentle, protective and accommodating. Like an
elder in the family, Mr. Lamb advises the young boy to mind the apples lest he should trip and not to
feel afraid.
Q3. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr. Lamb in spite of himself?
Ans. Mr. Lamb is a good inspirer, a motivator and a patient listener. He holds a positive attitude to
life. On seeing Derry he neither asks anything about his face nor does he look disgusted rather he
makes Derry feel comfortable with his burnt face. He instills confidence in Derry. He wants him to
understand the world and see the difference by watching and listening. Due to these qualities, Derry
is drawn towards Lamb.
Q4. “I’m, not afraid. People are afraid of me,” says Derry. What do people think on seeing his face?
How do they react then?
Ans. People think that it is the ugliest thing they have ever seen. They call him a poor boy as one side
of his face has been burnt by acid. Some of them are afraid of his ugly and horrible face.

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Q5. How does Mr. Lamb change the subject from ugly face to ripe apples?
Ans. There is a momentary pause in the conversation. Then Mr. Lamb changes the subject. He says
that when it is a bit cooler, he will get the ladder and a stick. Then he will pull down those ripe crab
apples. He makes jelly. He calls these orange coloured and golden apples magic fruit. September is
a good time to make jelly. He tells the boy that he could help him.
Q6. What does Mr. Lamb tell about himself?
Ans. Lamb tells that he is old and has a tin leg. Children tease him calling Lamey-Lamb but still they
come to his garden. They are not afraid of him because he is not afraid of them. He is never
bothered about his old age or tin leg as life has many more things to offer.
Q7. It’s all relative, beauty and beast. Justify the statement.
Ans. Mr. Lamb means to say that different people have different view points to look at the same
thing. Some find one thing beautiful, others find it ugly. It all depends on outlook and attitude. It is,
therefore, important to adopt a positive attitude towards everything just like the Princess Beauty who
loved the monstrous Beast in the fairy tale. Mr. Lamb tells Derry there are plenty of things to stare at
and if people look at their handicap they should not mind, as they will be tired of soon. Beauty or ugly

DU
depends upon individual’s perceptions.
Q8. How does Derry’s attitude change?
Ans. Due to his burnt face Derry had withdrawing attitude. He curses his handicap and is afraid of
people’s stare at him. But Lamb changed his attitude. Lamb instilled courage in him to live life as it is.
He cited his own example. Children call him Lamey Lamb but he does not mind. He has a tin leg but
that does not stop him from making friends.
Q9. Why do these arguments fail to console Derry?
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Ans. Derry says all these consolations will not make his face change. He feels more hurt and pained
by the comments of persons or what he overhears. Once he heard a woman in the street whispering
to another, “Look at that, that’s a terrible things. That’s a face only a mother could love.” Derry calls it
cruel of them.
Q10. What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man?
Ans. Derry thinks that the old man is peculiar. He says peculiar things. He asks questions which
Derry does not understand. There are no curtains at the windows in his house. He likes the light and
CA
darkness and hears the wind with the windows open.
Q11. How should people be judged?
Ans. People should not be judged by what they look like. They must be judged by their actions.
Appearances may be deceptive. On the other hand, people with physical impairments overcome their
disabilities and perform wonderful feats in different spheres.
Q12. “There’s plenty of other things to stare at.” Which ‘things’ are worth staring at and why?
Ans. According to the old man there are plenty of things to stare at. These include crab apples or the
weeds or a spider climbing up a silken ladder, or his tall sun-flowers. All of them are beautiful and
VB

growing. Derry is surprised at the mention of ‘things’. Mr. Lamb tries to convince him that it is all
relative. Then he mentions ‘Beauty and the Beast’.
Q13. How does Derry convince his mother for going to the old man’s garden?
Ans. Derry says that the old man has a tin leg. He lives in a huge house without curtains. He has a
garden. Derry wants to be there and listen to things that matter. Things nobody else has ever said.
Things he wants to think about. They are not about his face and how he looks.
Q14. What makes Derry resolve to go to the old man?
Ans. He no longer cares about his face and looks. He is more concerned with what he thinks and
feels, what he wants to see and find out and hear. He knows that if he does not go back there, he will
never go anywhere in that world again.
Q15. Comment on the moral value of the play.
Ans. The moral of the play is very loud and clear. The physically disabled should focus on the
brighter side of life and not to brood over the shortcomings. The society should accept them as they
are and expand their social interactions .In this way they can fight out the loneliness, depression and

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disappointment.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. What is the bond that unites the two—Mr. Lamb and Derry? How does the old man inspire the
small boy?
Ans. It is the bond of physical impairment that unites old Mr. Lamb and the small boy, Derry. He got
his leg blown off during the war and since then he has a tin leg. Derry got one side of his face burnt
by acid. Their respective disabilities have not only caused pain and suffering to the body but to their
mind and soul as well. They have to live with their physical impairment. Mr. Lamb has adjusted
himself to the ways of the world and stopped bothering about what people call him. He keeps
himself busy in meaningful activities like picking apples, making jelly, bee-keeping and preparing
toffee from honey. He loves reading books, hearing music, observing beautiful things and thinking
about them. He inspires the small boy by saying that he has all the God-given organs intact. He has
to decide what to do. He must work for it and then he can outshine even the others. Derry admits
that ‘Handsome is he as handsome does.’ For him his face or how he looks does not matter now.
Q2. Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Lamb and Derry.

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Ans. Both Mr. Lamb and the young boy Derry have one thing in common—their physical impairment.
Both are victims of these disabilities after birth. The leg of Mr. Lamb was blown off during the war.
Derry’s face was burnt by acid. One side of his face looked very ugly and frightful.
Apart from this, they have nothing in common. Mr. Lamb is old, Derry is a young boy of fourteen. Mr.
Lamb enjoys company and wants to talk. Derry is very withdrawn and defiant. He does not want to
come in contact with people.
Mr. Lamb does not bother about his lameness. He has developed love for reading books, hearing
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music, seeing beautiful things and thinking about them. He is calm and patient. He asks peculiar
questions. He forces Derry to see that actions are more important than mere looks. In spite of his
lameness he picks apples, makes jelly, maintains a beehive and makes toffees from honey. The gate
of his garden is always open. Derry develops a new vision of life under his guidance.
Q3. What impression do you form of Derry?
Ans. Derry is a fourteen year old boy who is very withdrawn and defiant. One side of his face has
been burnt by acid and it looks very ugly and frightful. This incident has made him a victim of
CA
inferiority complex. He is highly sensitive to what others say about him. Their anxiety, concern, fear
and revulsion pains him most.
Derry is quite intelligent. When Mr. Lamb mentions the story ‘Beauty and the Beast’, Derry at once
comes out with its moral: ‘Handsome is as handsome does.’ He, however, evokes self-pity by saying,
“I won’t change… and no one’ll kiss me ever.”
Derry is sensitive to the sufferings of others. He arouses sympathy for himself by making enquiries
about the old man’s leg, pain and how he passes his life alone. Derry has the capacity to learn. He is
impressed by the old man’s way of life in spite of physical handicap. In the end, he does not bother
VB

about his face or looks and wants to see, hear, learn and think and do what no one else has done.
Q4. What impression do you form about Mr. Lamb?
Ans. Mr. Lamb is the protagonist in the play. He dominates the play from beginning to end. He
impresses us as a sensitive, watchful, kind, considerate and sympathetic person. He is quite gentle,
accommodating and protective. He is more concerned about the boy’s well-being than the apples.
He is a victim of alienation due to his physical impairment. Though he keeps his gates open and
says he has many friends, actually he lives alone and is quite miserable. He loves company and
wants to talk. He shares his thoughts even with the young boy.
Mr. Lamb is like a modern communicator and a psychologist who believes in drawing out the best of
an individual. His tactful handling and peculiar questions make Derry shed some of his firmly fixed
notions and respond to the things of the world around him. Thus he is a source of inspiration to
Derry.
Q5. How far do you find the ending of the play quite effective and meaningful?
Ans. The ending is quite dramatic and stage worthy. Mr. Lamb, who has been picking apples, falls

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down along with the ladder. As Derry reaches the garden, he finds Mr. Lamb lying on the ground. He
kneels by Lamb and cries that he has come back. He implores the old man to get up and talk. As the
old man does not respond, he begins to weep. Mr. Lamb is dead.
It is a pathetic ending, no doubt, but it does not spread gloom. It is like a soldier making an exit with
the satisfaction of mission accomplished. The old man has handed over his philosophy of life to
Derry and inspired him to find out what he wants to be. Thus, though the old man expires physically,
his ideas inspire Derry to pursue higher goals and achieve them. In this sense, the ending is quite
effective and meaningful.
Q6. Mr. Lamb displays signs of loneliness and disappointment. What are the ways in which Mr.
Lamb tries to overcome these feelings?
Ans. Mr. Lamb displays signs of loneliness and disappointment and tries to overcome these feelings
by doing different things. He says that when it is a bit cooler, he will get the ladder and a stick, and
pull down those crab apples. He makes jelly. Derry could help him. Then he says he is interested in
anybody or anything that God made. It may be a person, flower, fruit, grass, weeds or rubbish. There
are plenty of things to look at. Some of them are his crab apples or the weeds or a spider climbing

DU
up a silken ladder or his tall sun-flowers. He also likes to talk and have a company. He has a hive of
bees. He hears them singing. He sits in the sun and reads books. He likes the light and the darkness.
He hears the wind coming through open windows. There aren’t any curtains at the windows as they
either shut things out or shut things in.
MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD
By Zitkala-Sa and Bama
Introduction
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The chapter contains two extracts from two different autobiographical episodes from the lives of
two women – Zitkala Sa and Bama. Both are victims of social discriminations. Zitkala Sa is the
victim of racial discrimination whereas Bama is the victim of caste discriminations. In both the
extracts, the writers look back on their childhood and reflect on their relationship with mainstream
culture which ill-treated them when they were child.
But both the accounts are not simple narratives of oppression. Rather they reveal how oppression
was resisted by both the narrators in their own ways. Zitkala-Sa and Bama were very young but not
CA
so young that they would not understand the evil scheme of the mainstream culture. The injustice of
their society did not escape their notice also. Their bitter childhood experience sowed the seeds of
rebellion in them earlier on.
Both the accounts are based in two distant cultures. The first is that of Native Americans and the
second is that of the Tamil Dalits. But the commonality that brings them closer is the fact that in
both cases, the mainstream culture marginalized the underprivileged section of that society. This
gave rise to the conflict between the mainstream culture and the marginalized community, which is
exquisitely showcased in ‘Memories of Childhood’.
VB

I. THE CUTTING OF MY LONG HAIR By Zitkala-Sa

About the author
Zitkala-Sa is the pen name of Gertrude Simmons. She was an American writer and reformer who
struggled hard to retain her cultural identity amid pressure to adapt to the dominant American
culture.

She was born on February 22, 1876 at Yankton Sioux Agency, South Dakota, U.S. Gertrude Simmons
was the daughter of a Yankton Sioux mother and a Euro-American father. She adopted the name
Zitkala-Sa in her teens. When she was eight, she was sent to White’s Manual Labor Institute, a
Quaker missionary school in Wabash, Indiana. At age 19, against her family’s wishes, she enrolled at
Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, also a Quaker school, and graduated in 1897. For two years
she taught at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, but she was
uncomfortable with the school’s harsh discipline and its curriculum, which was devised to teach
Euro-American ways and history, thus eradicating students’ Native American cultural identities. She

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remained active as a spokesperson for Native American concerns until her death. She died on
January 26, 1938 in Washington, D.C., United States.
Characters
1. Gertrude Simmons:the narrator of the story
2. Zudewin:a friend of Gertrude Simmons
3. A pale-faced woman: a teacher or a member of staff at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in
Carlisle.
Theme
It highlights the despise, racial discrimination and unhealthy treatment towards the humanity in
general and women in particular.
Introduction
This account relates to an American Indian woman who becomes the victim of racial discrimination.
She is admitted to a school where native Indians do not get respect, honour, dignity and due
weightage in America. She is forced by the whites to follow their traditions and traits. Simmons is
dragged out and tied to a chair to shingle out her long hair. She cries, struggles, kicks, resists, shows

DU
reluctance and she ultimately feels like one of the many animals driven by a herder.
Summary
This extract is a painful revelation of a particular period of the life which the writer had to suffer
during her hostel days. It was the first day of her boarding school situated in the land of apples. The
children were given the task of apple picking in the bitter and biting cold. They were taken to the
breakfast hall and the girl was feeling stressed. She did not know the table manners. She was being
watched very carefully by a strange pale-faced woman. The girl felt very fearful and insulted.
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Her friend who could understand some English, told her that the pale strange woman intended to cut
her long hair. Zitkala-Sa learned from her mother that hair would be shingled only for the unskilled
warrior, cowards and mourners. She decided to fight back and got herself hidden in a dim room
under the bed. Everybody looked for her and called her name but eventually caught. Her long hair
was cut, although she resisted a lot. She spent her rest of the life there like a small animal being a
part of a herd, which was driven by a herder.
Main Points
CA
1. Zitkala-sa was a victim of social & cultural oppression by the victors who had overpowered them
by their sheer strength. They were prejudiced towards Native American Culture & women.
2. Zitkala-sa was forced to cut her long hair compulsorily.
3. The cutting of the long hair of Zitkala-sa was a symbol of their oppression.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. How were the Indian girls dressed?
Ans. The Indian girls were in stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses. The small girls wore sleeved
aprons and shingled hair. It was Zitkala-Sa’s first day in school. She was not yet in the school dress.
VB

She was dressed in the modest dress of her tribe.

Q2. How did Zitkala-Sa compare her own dress with that of the other girls?
Ans. The other girls wore stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses. Zitkala-Sa thought it was
immodest to dress like that. She was wearing soft flat shoes and the loose clothes of her tribe. Even
without her blanket on her shoulders, she was feeling very shy.
Q3. “I felt like sinking to the floor,” says Zitkala-Sa. When did she feel so and why?
Ans. Native American girl traditionally wears a blanket on her shoulders. It is considered immodest
if a girl is without a blanket on her shoulders. But when Zitkala-Sa was marching in a line to the
dining room, her blanket was stripped from her shoulders. In her shame, Zitkala-Sa felt like sinking to
the floor.
Q4. What were the indignities that the new girls were subjected to at Carlisle Indian School?
Ans. The girls were scrutinized thoroughly and supervised by a grey‐haired woman. They were made
to wear tight fitting immodest clothes and stiff shoes. During breakfast a systematic and regimental
discipline was observed. The girls with long hair had to get them shingled and they had to submit to

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the authorities who were strong, unfeeling and cruel.

Q5. Who was Judewin? What warning did she give to Zitkala-Sa?
Ans. All the girls were placed in a line before entering the dining room. While the girls entered from
one door, the boys came in from the opposite door. Zitkala-Sa watched for the three boys of her tribe
who had come in the same group. They were feeling as uncomfortable as Zitkala-Sa was.
Q6. What did Judewin tell Zitkala-Sa? How did she react to it?
Ans. Judewin who could understand a little English informed the narrator that the strange woman
intended to cut their long hair. But the narrator had learnt from her mother that the enemy cut the
hair of the unskilled warrior when they are captured and among their people mourners wear short
hair and cowards shingled hair. So, she decided to resists. She hid herself under a bed in a dark
room.
Q7. Why was Zitkala-Sa terrified When Judewin told her that her hair would be shingled?
Ans. It was a tradition with Zitkala-Sa’s tribe to keep long, heavy hair. Only unskilled warrior who
were captured, had their hair shingled by the enemy. It was considered humiliating to have ones hair
shingled. Naturally, Zitkala-Sa was terrified when she heard that her hair would be cut short.

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Q8. How did Zitkala-Sa try to prevent the shingling of her hair?
Ans. She crept up the stairs when no one was noticing. She went into a room. The windows were
covered with dark green curtains. It made the room very dim. Zitkala-Sa went down on her hands and
knees and crawled under a bed. There she lay huddled in the dark corner.
Q9. How was Zitkala-Sa found from her hiding place?
Ans. Zitkala-Sa heard voices calling her name. She knew they were searching for her. Some women
and girls entered her room. Someone threw back the curtains. The room was filled with light. She
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was found hiding under the bed. She was dragged out.
Q10. How did Zitkala-Sa feel after her long hair had been shingled?
Ans. Zitkala-Sa was terribly shocked. She was in tears. She moaned for her mother. But no one
came to comfort her. No one came to reason with her as her mother used to do. Now she felt herself
as one of many little animals driven by a herder.
Q11. On learning that her long hair would be cut, the author decided to struggle first. What does
this tell us about the author?
CA
Ans. The author knows that she could never prevail against the authorities, yet she struggles
against the injustice. Her mother had told her that only cowards had their hair shingled and she
firmly believed that she was not one. To prove her point as well as raise her voice against the
indignity, she struggles.
Q12. How had Zitkala -Sa been subjected to extreme indignities?
Ans. Since the day she was taken from her mother Zitkala had suffered many indignities. She was
stared at and tossed like a wooden puppet. Her long hair was shingled like a coward’s. In her pain
when she cried for her mother no one came forward to comfort her. She was just like one of animals
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driven by a herder.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Describe Zitkala-Sa’s experience of ‘eating by formula’ on the first day of her school.
Ans. There were tables and chairs arranged in the dining room. Boys and girls entered the hall from
opposite doors. A small bell was tapped. Each of the pupils drew a chair from under the table.
Zitkala-Sa, too, pulled her chair and slipped into it. But when she turned her head, all others were still
standing. She shyly began to rise but then there was a second bell and all were seated. A man’s
voice was heard at one end of the hall. Zitkala-Sa looked around to see him. But all others hung their
heads over their plates. When the man stopped his mutterings, a third bell was tapped. Everyone
picked up their knife and fork and began eating. Zitkala-Sa began crying instead. This ‘eating by
formula’ was too hard a trial for her.
Q2. What did Zitkala-Sa do when she came to know that they were going to cut her hair?
Ans. Zitkala-Sa crept up the stairs quietly when no one was noticing. There she found a large room
with three white beds in it. The windows were covered with dark green curtains. It made the room

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very dim. Zitkala-Sa went down on her hands and knees. She crawled under the bed that was
farthest from the door. There, she lay huddled in the dark corner. Soon, she heard voices calling her
name. Women and girls entered the room. Someone threw up the curtains. The room was filled with
light. Zitkala-Sa was found under the bed and dragged out. She was carried downstairs and tied fast
in a chair. She cried aloud, shaking her head all the while. She felt the blades of scissors against her
neck. She heard them cut off one of her thick braids. Now she lost her spirit and stopped struggling.
When her long hair was shingled, she moaned for her mother. But no one came to comfort her.
II. We too are Human Beings
By Bama

About the author

Bama is a Tamil Dalit Feminist and novelist. She is also known as Bama Faustina Soosairaj. Bama
was born in 1958 as Faustina Mary Fatima Rani in a Roman Catholic family from Puthupatti in the
then Madras State. Bama’s grandfather had converted from Hinduism to Christianity. Bama’s
ancestors were from the Dalit community and worked as agricultural labourers. Her father was

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employed with the Indian Army. Bama had her early education in her village. On graduation, she
served as a nun for seven years. After serving as a nun for seven years, Bama left the convent and
began writing. With the encouragement of a friend, she wrote on her childhood experiences. These
experiences formed the basis for her first novel, Karukku published in 1992.
She rose to fame with her autobiographical novel Karukku, which chronicles the joys and sorrows
experienced by Dalit Christian women in Tamil Nadu. She subsequently wrote two more novels,
Sangatiand Vanmam along with two collections of short stories – Kusumbukkaran and Oru Tattvum
Erumaiyum. Bama’s novels focus on caste and gender discrimination. They portray caste-
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discrimination practised in Christianity and Hinduism. Bama’s works are seen as embodying Dalit
feminism and are famed for celebrating the inner strength of the subaltern woman.
Characters
1. Bama: the narrator of the story.
2. Annan: elder brother of Bama.
Theme
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It highlights the despise, racial discrimination and unhealthy treatment towards the humanity in
general and women in particular.
Introduction
Bama is a girl from Tamil Dalit community. She is very upset to experience the curse of
untouchability. The elders of her community have to bow low before the upper caste. They have to
work hard for them. Such people do not get respect and honour. Her brother Annan inspires and
advises her to work hard to attain quality. She acts upon his advice and people start coming to her of
their own accord.
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Summary
Bama was a student of third class. She never heard of the word untouchability during her childhood.
Certain small events of her life made her feel that she was born in the marginalized caste. She was a
happy peppy girl and once when she was in the third class, while going home she saw her people
working hard for their land- lords. In spite of their hard work the landlords treated the workers very
humiliatingly. She saw from the direction of the market an elder from their community was coming
with a parcel in his hands. The manner he carried the poly bag, the manner he was carrying it with its
strings, without touching the Vadas inside the parcel, really made him to be funny. He handed over
the parcel to the landlord very sacredly too. She narrated the incident to her brother, taking the
incident as humorous and funny. He told that it was not humorous but humiliating as the elderly
person was not supposed to touch the item inside the parcel. On hearing that Bama felt infuriated.
She saw her people bowing, to the upper caste people. She was enraged why her elders work so
hard for those people who despised them so much. She wanted her people to stop paying undue
respect and reverences to these upper caste people. Her brother told her that if they study hard and
make progress in their lives, it would help them in throwing away the indignities. Education is their

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weapon with which they fight back the society. Bama did the same and got many friends in her life.
Education made her as double- sided sward to fight very sharply against the unjustified caste system.
Main Points
1. Bama was a victim of caste system, she had seen, felt & experienced the evils of untouchability.
2. She struggled hard against this social discrimination.
3. She studied hard & topped in her class & many students became her friends.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why was the narrator taking an hour or half to reach home instead of ten minute?
Ans. The narrator was taking an hour or half to reach home as she used to watch the roadside fun
and games. The entertaining novelties like the performing monkey, snake charmer’s display of snake,
marathon cycling, dried fish stall by the statue of Gandhi, street play or puppet show used to pull her
stand still on her way back home.
Q2. What was going on at the opposite corner when Bama came to her street one day?
Ans. A threshing floor had been set up there. Some people of Bama’s community were hard work.
They were driving cattle round and round in pairs. They were treading out the grain from the straw.

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Q3. Why did Bama want to laugh on seeing an elder of her street?
Ans. The elder was carrying a small packet by its string. He was holding it out so as not to touch it.
There seemed to be Vadais in the packet because it was stained with oil. Bama wanted to laugh
because that way the packet could get undone and the Vadais could fall out.
Q4. How did Bama come to know about untouchability?
Ans. Bama saw an elder of her community carrying a packet of vadais by its string. The packet was
for the landlord. For Bama, it was a funny sight. But her brother told her that they were not supposed
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to touch the upper caste people. Their touch could pollute them. It was only then that Bama knew of
the social discrimination faced by their community.
Q5. How did Annan explain to Bama that there was nothing funny about the elder carrying the
packet by its string?
Ans. Annan told Bama that the landlord and his people were believed to be of upper caste. The
Dalits were not supposed to touch them. By their touch, the upper caste people thought they were
polluted. That was why the elder had to carry the packet by its string.
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Q6. What advice did Annan offer Bama?
Ans. Annan advised Bama to study hard with care and learn all she could. He said that only by
studying and by making progress, could they throw away their indignities.
Q7. Why did Bama study so hard?
Ans. Bama’s brother who was studying at a University told her because they were born in a low
caste they are deprived of honour and dignities. He advised her to study and make progress to throw
away the indignities. The words of her brother left a deep impression in her mind and she studied
hard.
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Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. What was the scene that first amused Bama but then filled her with anger and revolt?
Ans. A threshing floor had been set up at a corner of the street. It was a street where the Dalits lived.
Some men of the street were working hard to separate the grain from the straw. The landlord was
sitting on a piece of sacking spread over a stone ledge. Bama saw an elder man of the street coming
from the side of the bazaar. He was holding out a packet by its string. The packet was stained with
oil. It had probably vadais in it. Bama thought it was funny to carry the packet in that manner,
because the packet could get undone and the vadais could fall out. But Bama’s elder brother
explained to her that there was nothing comic about it. The landlord and his people were believed to
be of upper caste. The Dalits were not supposed to touch them. It could pollute the upper caste
people. On hearing this, Bama was filled with anger and revolt. She said, “We too are human beings.
Our people should never do these humiliating things for them. We should work in their fields, take
home our wages, and leave it at that.”
Q2. What oppression and discrimination did Zitkala-Sa and Bama experience during their childhood?

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How did they respond to their respective situations?

Ans. Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama had a terrible experience of social oppression and discrimination
during their childhood. Bama was filled with revolt when she saw how the elder of their community
was humiliated by the village landlord. She said, “We too are human beings. We should never bow
low before these fellows.” Zitkala-Sa was also a victim of social discrimination. She belonged to a
tribe of native Americans. The white-skinned settlers from Europe looked down upon the local tribes.
They treated them like animals. Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa refuse to bow to the injustice they are
subjected to. Both of them protest in their own way. Zitkala-Sa does not want her hair to be shingled.
Among her tribe, shingled hair is considered to be a sign of cowardice. She struggles with all her
might when she is tied in a chair. But at last the little one has to give herself up. Bama, on her part,
decides to work hard at her studies so that others realise her worth and come to her as friends.
Q3. What are the similarities in the lives Bama and Zitkala-Sa though they belong to different
cultures?
Ans. Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa were the victims of social discrimination. Both of them protest in
their own way. Bama belonged to an oppressed community. One day, she saw an elder of her

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community holding a packet of vadais by its string. This packet was for the landlord. Bama thought it
was a funny sight. But Bama’s brother explained to her that the landlord and his people belonged to
the upper caste. The touch of one from an oppressed class could pollute them. It filled Bama with
anger and revolt. The experience of Zitkala-Sa was also of a similar one. She belonged to a tribe of
native Americans. The white-skinned settlers from Europe looked down upon the local tribes. They
treated them like animals. Zitkala-Sa did not want her hair to be shingled. Among her tribe, shingled
hair was considered to be a sign of cowardice. She struggled with all her might when she was tied in
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a chair. But at last, the little one had to give herself up. Thus both Bama and Zitkala-Sa protested in
their own way.
Q4. The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the
commonality of theme found in both of them?
Ans. The first account is that of Zitkala-Sa. She is a native American. She belongs to a tribe of
people who were the original inhabitants of America. The white-skinned European settlers had a
bitter prejudice against the native Americans. They treated them like herds of animals. The second
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account is that of Bama who was a Tamil Indian. She belonged to the Dalit community. She was
pained to see how the upper caste people treated the Dalits in a humiliating manner. They thought
that even the touch of Dalit would pollute them. Thus we see that though Zitkala-Sa and Bama
belonged to different cultures, there was much commonality in their sufferings. Both the
communities suffered from the racial prejudice of those who considered themselves to be superior
to them.
Q5. It may take a long time for oppression to be resisted, but the seeds of rebellion are sowed early
in life. Do you agree that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by children?
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Ans. Elders become used to the kind of life they have been living. They stop grumbling or protesting
because they take it as their destiny. But children are far more sensitive than elders. They acutely
feel whatever they think is wrong or unjust. They may be physically weak but are emotionally quite
awake. They feel quite disturbed when they see injustice being done to someone. Thus the seeds of
rebellion are sown early in life. And when they grow up, they stand in open rebellion against the
oppressor.
Q6. Bama’s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does
Zitkala-Sa’s experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?
Ans. Zitkala-Sa was a victim of social discrimination. She belonged to a tribe of native Americans.
The white-skinned settlers from Europe looked down upon the local tribes. They treated them like
animals. Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa refuse to bow to the injustice they are subjected to. Both of them
protest in their own way. Zitkala-Sa does not want her hair to be shingled. Among her tribe, shingled
hair is considered to be a sign of cowardice. She struggles with all her might when she is tied in a
chair. But at last the little one has to give herself up. Bama, on her part, decides to work hard in her

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studies so that others realise her worth and come to her as friends.
JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH
(By- Tishani Doshi)
Introduction
In ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ Tishani Doshi describes the journey to the coldest, driest and
windiest continent in the world: Antarctica. The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.
Geoff Green’s ‘Students on Ice’ programme aims at taking high school students to the ends of the
world. Doshi thinks that Antarctica is the place to go and understand the earth’s present, past and
future.
Summary

Biginning of Journey- The narrator boarded a Russian research ship-The 'Akademik Shokalskiy'. It
was heading towards the coldest, driest and the windiest continent in the world, Antarctica. His
journey began 13.09 degrees north of the Equator in Madras (Chennai). He crossed nine time zones,
six checkpoints, three bodies of water and at least three ecospheres. He travelled over 100 hours in

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car, aeroplane and ship to reach there. Southern Supercontinent(Gondwana)- Six hundred and fifty
million years ago a giant southern supercontinent Gondwana did indeed exist. It centered roughly
around present-day Antarctica. Human beings hadn't arrived on the global scene. The climate at that
time was much warmer. It supported a huge variety of flora and fauna. When the dinosaurs became
totally extinct and the age of mammals began, the landmass was forced to separate into countries
as they exist today.
Study of Antarctica-The purpose of the visit was to know more about Antarctica. It is to understand
the significance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields; ozone and carbon; evolution
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and extinction. Ninety per cent of the earth's total ice volumes are stored in Antarctica. Icebergs are
as big as countries. Days go on and on in 24-hour austral summer light. Human Impact- The most
hotly contested debate of our time is whether West Antarctica Ice sheet will melt entirely or no. If we
want to study the earth's past, present and future, Antarctica is the place (for us) to go. Antarctica
has a simple eco-system and lacks of biodiversity. It is the perfect place to study how little changes
in the environment can have big repercussions (results). Scientists warn that a further depletion of
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the ozone layer will affect the lives of the sea-animals and birds of the region. It will also affect the
global carbon cycle. The burning of fossil fuels has polluted the atmosphere. It has created a blanket
of carbon dioxide around the world. It is increasing the global temperature which is visible at
Antarctica when we see ice bergs melting away. It shows how minor changes in the atmosphere can
cause huge effect. If the global emperature keeps on increasing the human race may be in peril.
“Students on ice” is a programme which provides the students an ample opportunity to understand
how global temperature can be a big threat to human existence. It inculcates a new understanding in
them. Geoff Green thinks that high school students are the future policy makers. They can help in
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saving the earth from ecological dangers and the effects of global warming.
Effect of Climatic Change- The author gives us an example to show how small changes in the
atmosphere can be threatening. The microscopic phytoplanktons are single celled plants. They
nourish the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. They use the sun’s energy to assimilate carbon and
supply oxygen. Any further depletion in the ozone layer may affect this functioning and indirectly
affect the lives of all marine animals. Walk on the Ocean-It was the most thrilling experience of the
visit. They climbed down the gangplank and walked on the ocean. They were 52 persons. They were
walking on a meter-thick ice-pack. Under the ice pack there was 180 meters of living, breathing, salt
water. Seals were enjoying themselves in the sun on ice. The narrator was wondering about the
beauty of the place. He wished it would not become a warm place as it used to be millions of years
ago. If it happens, the results can be ruinous. Important Questions and Answers
1. What is Antarctica?
Ans. Antarctica is southern continent of the earth. It is the driest, coldest and windiest continent.
2. What is ‘Students on Ice? (Imp)
Ans. ‘Students on Ice’ is an educational journey to Antarctica. It takes high school students to show

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them the terrifying impacts of human activities in Antarctica so that, the students (future policy
makers of the earth) will realize that the end of the earth is quite near and therefore something
should be done to save the planet.
3. Why did Geoff Green decide to take high school students to Antarctica?
Ans. 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.
4. Why is Students on Ice Program a success?
Ans. When one stands in the midst of the calving ice-sheets and retreating glaciers and melting
icebergs, he realizes that the threats 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.
5. Why are the youngsters called the future policy makers of the earth?
Ans. The youngsters are called the future policy-makers because it is they who will steer the

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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.
6. What lessons are we able to learn from Antarctica?
Ans. While in Antarctica, we can ice-sheets breaking, water level rising, seals taking sun bath on the
icefloes. 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
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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.
7. What are phytoplanktons? How are they important for the earth’s survival? What does
the parable of phytoplankton teach us?
Ans. Phytoplankton is a single-celled grass that feed the entire southern ocean’s marine life. These
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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.
8. How is Antarctica significant in climatic debates?
Ans. 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.
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9. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?

Ans. Geological phenomena certainly help us to know about the history of humankind. A giant
southern supercontinent- Gondwana did exist 650 million years ago. The climate was much warmer.
It had a huge variety of flora and fauna. Gondwana thrived for 500 million years. Finally, it broke to
separate countries as they exist today. It was the stage when dinosaurs were wiped out and the age
of mammals started.
10. What are the indications for the future of humankind?
Ans. Rapid human population growth and limited resources exert pressure on land. Burning of
fossil fuels has only helped in increasing the average global temperature. Melting of ice-caps,
depletion of the ozone layer and global warming are the real and immediate dangers for
mankind. They will affect the lives of all the marine animals and the birds of the region.

11. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica: How is the study of this
region useful to us?

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Ans. The study of Antarctica shows that India and Antarctica were part of a supercontinent
named Gondwana. This supercontinent exists 650 million years ago. To The climate of
Gondwana was much warmer. It fostered a huge variety of flora and fauna. Then about 150
million years ago, dinosaurs were wiped out. The age of mammals started. Gondwana was forced
to separate into countries. The globe was shaped much as we know it today. A cold circumpolar
current was created. It made Antarctica frigid. Thus, we can say that the world’s geological
history is really trapped in Antarctica.

12.What were Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the ‘Students
on Ice’ expedition?
Children are more receptive and ready to absorb, learn and most importantly act. Unlike the elderly
people who are at the end of their productive life, children can giveback to society substantially and
practice what they learn and experience. Most importantly, they can take correct decisions and act
when the time comes and save the environment.
13. How does the writer realize that the threat of global warming is very real?

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The writer visits Antarctica and sees for herself the glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing.
She sees with naked eyes the effect on the food chain when a singled celled phytoplankton is
removed from food chain. That’s when she realizes that threat of global warming is real.
14. What revelation did the author have on her visit to Antarctica?
The writer on her visit to Antarctica noticed the beauty of balance in play on our planet and realizes
that everything in the world is inter-connected.
15.What is phytoplankton? What is their importance?
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Phytoplanktons, the grasses of the sea are single celled organisms living in the southern ocean.
They nourish and sustain the entire ocean’s food chain , being e the first link in the food chain of the
ocean. Using sun’s energy , they assimilate carbon and synthesize organic compounds. The
diminishing number of this organism due to the depletion of ozone layer affects other organisms of
the ocean , finally leading to the extinction of life on earth..
16. “Take care of small things and the big things will take care of themselves”. What is the
relevance of this statement in context of the Antarctic Environment?
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Suggested Value Points: The Statement- greatly relevant in the context of Antarctic Environment –
only place not strained by man – remains pristine – carbon records preserved in its folds – simple
eco system – lack of bio-diversity - perfect place to study how small changes can have big
repercussions – example of phytoplankton – how it uses sun’s energy to synthesize food – process
of photosynthesis – Depletion of ozone layer effects phytoplankton – life of small marine animals –
in turn the food of large animals – Global warming effect all animals and plants on earth – evident in
Antarctica.
17. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past And future?
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Introduction: If we want to study and examine the Earth’s present, past and future, there is the
only place that is Antarctica.
Reason: To visit Antarctica is to be a part of the earth’s past history. We come to know that
about 650 million years ago there was a giant super-continent in the south. It was called
Gondwana. India and the Antarctica were parts of the same landmass-Gondwana. Things were
quite different then. Human had not arrived on the earth. The climate of Antarctica was much
warmer. It had a huge variety of flora and fauna. Dinosaurs became extinct. The age of mammals
started. The landmass was forced in to be separated into countries as they exist today.
The study of Antarctica also helps us to understand the earth’s present and future as well.
Geological history is trapped. Here in Antarctica we can study the earth’s past. About 90 percent
of the earth’s total ice is stored here. There are no trees, buildings or other human settlements in
Antarctica. Here we see glaciers melting and ice-caps falling. We can relate them to the results of
global warming. Antarctica also warns us for the future. It warns the end of the world if the west

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Antarctica ice sheet melts entirely, and the Gulf Stream ocean current is disrupted. What will
happen if the global warming results in constant melting of icebergs? It will bring disastrous
results. The further depletion (decadence) of ozone layer will affect sea animals, vegetation
(plants and trees) and humans very adversely (undesirably).
Conclusion: There is no place in the Earth except Antarctica where we can find the records of
present, past and future. Thus, Antarctica is the perfect place to go to, to understand the earth’s
present, past and the future.

SHORT COMPOSITION
(I)Notice Writing
A Notice is a written or a printed information or news announcement. Notices are either displayed at
prominent places or published in newspapers / magazines. It is meant only for a select group. Since
a notice contains a formal announcement or information, its tone and style are formal and factual.

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Its language should be simple and formal. A notice is always brief and to the point. Remember,
Circulars are also written like notices, but unlike notices, they carry more than one message, and
they are circulated through a messenger.
POINTS TO BE FOLLOWED WHILE WRITING NOTICES:

 Adhere to the specified word limit of 50 words.

 Name and place of the school, organization or office issuing the notice should be mentioned.
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 Write the word NOTICE at the top.
 Give an appropriate heading.
 Write the date of issuing the notice.
 Clearly mention the target group (for whom the notice is to be displayed)
 Mention the purpose of the notice.
 Mention all the relevant details (date, venue, time)
 Mention whom to contact for extra information.
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 Signature, name and designation of the person issuing the notice.
 Put the notice in a box.
(II) Invitations and Replies

No man is an island. Man is a social animal. We need to be with people. This is the reason why
solitary confinement is the worst form of punishment one can experience. So, we celebrate many
occasions together. To invite someone for an occasion we use the written form-INVITATION.
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Invitations are generally printed cards through which we invite our guests on some auspicious
occasion like wedding, birthday, wedding anniversary, house warming, inauguration of a
shop/factory etc.
Invitations are of two types: (a) Formal (b) Informal. They can be printed on cards or can be drafted
in the form of letters.
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
An invitation is complete information. It answers the questions: who, whom, when, where, what time
and for what. The important components of an invitation therefore are:-
 The occasion
 Name(s) of the invitee(s)
 Name(s) of the host(s)
 Date, time and venue
 Name(s) of the chief guest or special invitees , in case of an official invitation

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FORMAT OF FORMAL INVITATIONS

In case of formal invitations, each of the following is written in a separate line with fonts of varying
sizes.
 Names of the hosts
 Names of the invitee (in case of a formal letter of invitation))
 Formal phrase of invitation , for example :-
 Request the pleasure of your benign presence/company.
 Seek your auspicious presence.
(III)LETTER WRITING
Points to remember:

 Leave a line after

 Sender’s Address
 Date
 Addressee’s Address

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 Sir
 Subject
 Body of letter
 Write the spelling of sincerely correctly. Remember that it begins with a small’s.
 Write the subject clearly in just 6 words. Eg. Complaint about Whirlpool Washing Machines /
Water Scarcity in Vasant Kunj etc.
 Add Thanking you, only if a request has been made.
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 Mention in your letter any document enclosed with the letter.
 If you know the person, end the letter with ‘Yours sincerely’. If you do not know the person
(editors, publishers etc.) end with ‘Yours faithfully’ or ‘Yours truly’ (Avoid using Yours
respectfully, obediently etc.)
(IV) ARTICLE WRITING
Writing an article is an art. The dictionary defines an article as a piece of writing about a particular
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subject in a newspaper or magazine. An article is an expression of one’s thought on an issue or a
subject logically and coherently written in meaningful paragraphs.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
 Give a title that catches the attention of the reader.
 Begin with a striking opening sentence which addresses the readers and gets them
interested in the topic.
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 Present a strong argument for your ideas supporting it with evidences or elaboration.
 Use linking devices (however, therefore, although, even though, in order to…) to make the
composition appear a whole.
 Introduce a new point at the beginning of an each paragraph that follows, to strengthen your
ideas.
 Develop your ideas as much as you can to make them interesting and substantial.
 Conclude with your strongest point.
 Use passive voice, humor, emotive language, rhetorical questions to provide a specific effect.
(V) REPORT WRITING
A report is a brief account of an event that has already taken place. The report helps in recording the
events of importance that occur in our day-to-day life. It attempts to present the firsthand
information of an incident or event. A report of an event presents a record of events that took place.
A report of an event includes one’s ideas, opinions and impressions about the event.

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 ♦ Points to Remember:
 Mention the place, date, time and other relevant facts about the event.
 Include information collected from the people around or affected by the event.
 Write the name of the reporter.
 Provide a suitable title/heading.
 Write in past tense.
 Write in reported speech and use passive form of expression.
 Develop ideas (causes, reasons, consequences, opinions) logically.
 Write in a less formal and more descriptive manner, while writing a report for a school
magazine.
 Present your ideas and impressions to make the report interesting.

READING SKILLS:

DU
1. Read the Unseen Passage and answer the questions given below:
In small town, there lived a beautiful family of five members including an old man who was the head
of
the family and his only son, daughter -in-law and two grandchildren. The family had not lot of fun and
enjoyed life to the fullest. As a family, they always had dinner together, every day.
However, as days passed by, the health of the old gradually weakened. His vision become very poor,
he
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his hands and legs started trembling.
One day, while serving dinner, the old man whose legs and hands shivered andwho couldn’t see
properly split the food on the table. With his trembling hands, he wasn’t able to eat properly. He let
the
CA
glass of milk fall on the table cloth. His son and daughter-in-law were completely annoyed, as he
messed
up the dinner. It was repeated for a next time as the old man couldn’t help himself. His son was
irritated
and his wife said, “I can’t bear this anyone. He spoils our dinner time. We should do something about
VB

it.” He agreed. Soon they set up a new table and chair in the corner of the hall and made him sit there
to eat food. The old man wasn’t able to hold the glass or plate and he broke a few pieces of utensils.
His
son gave the old man a wooden bowl so it wouldn’t break. While the rest of the family seemed to
enjoy
their meals, the old man was in tears as he had to eat his food alone. The old man would often
recollect
happy memories of family and could barely tolerate his current situation.
Days passed and the old man died quietly. After his funeral, they were cleaning the house when his
five-
year old grandson Vikram and his elder sister Zoya began to search for something. This was noticed
by

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their father who asked his children. ‘What are you searching for?’ Zoya replied, “The wooden bowl in
which grandpa ate food !’ Curiously he asked, ‘But why?’ To which Zoya thoughtfully replied, ‘ We
want
to preserve it in memory Grandpal!’ The children found the bowl and keep it in a safe place. Then
Vikram
asked his father, ‘Did can you buy one more bowl like this?’. Surprised by the question, he asked,
‘Why
son?’ To this Zoya prompted replied, ‘See we have only bowl. When you and Momma get old , how
will
we feed you both with one bowl? So we want you to buy another one for Momma ?’ The elders
realised

DU
their mistake, but it was a bit late in the day.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE in the context of the story?
a)The old man’s daughter-i-law took very good care of him till his last breath.
b) Vikram and Zoya loved and respected the elderly.
c) The old man had left the huge property for his only son after his death.
d) The old man was eating food in a wooden bowl.
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2.Which of the following qualities described the old man’s daughter-in-law the best in the context
of the story?
a) Extremely
b) Selfish
c) Annoying
CA
d) Meek
3. According to the story the old man food alone in the corner because _________
a)He didn’t enjoy having food with his family anymore.
b) He did not want the dinner table to make messy.
c)His grandchildren would make a noise which he couldn’t bear.
d) Other than those given in the options.
VB

4. As mentioned in the story, Vikram requested his father to get another wooden bowl because ___
a) He wanted to replace old utensils with new wooden ones.
b)It was his grandfather’s last wish and he wanted to fulfil it.
c) He wanted it for giving food to his mother when she became old.
d) He was fond of wooden vessels.
5.Which of the following is most nearly the opposite in meaning to the word “PRESERVE” as used
in the passage?
a) store
b) Dry
c) Discard
d) Eradicate

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6.Which of the following correctly explains the phrase, ‘Late in the day’ as used in the story?
a)‘In early afternoon
b) Too old to be useful
c) Too new to be used
d) Too late to be of any use
7. Which of the following can be an appropriate title for the story?
a) Never Hurt Your grandfather
b) The ill grandfather
c) The wooden Bowl
d) The wise parents
8.Which of the following is the most nearly the same in meaning to the word ‘RECOLLECT” as used

DU
in the story?
a) Remember
b) Remind
c) Prompt
d) Purchase
Section–A Reading Passage–2

been
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Direction ( Q-Nos.1-8) :Read the passage given below
Mankind’s experience of various evolutionary changes from primitive times to the present day has

extensive and varied. However, man’s problems were never before as complicated as they seem to
be
CA
today. Man’s economic activity centres primarily around factor of production ;its role, therefore , has
been given a lot of importance. It should be useful to have an overall view of the economic history of
man–from the nomadic times to the modern factory system–and study its relevance to the various
labour problems of today.
Initially, man passed through ‘the hunting and fishing stage’. During this period, his basic needs were
adequately met by Nature. Wild animals, birds and fruits satisfied his hunger, and his thirst was
VB

quenched by the waters of springs and rivers. Caves gave him shelter and barks of trees were used
as
clothing. During this stage of man’s progress of the absence of any economic, political and social
system.
Then came ‘the pastoral stage’, which was marked by a certain amount of economic activity. The
nomadic and migratory nature of man persisted, and , together with his goats and cattle, he moved
on
to fresh pastures and meadows. Some conflicts would sometimes take place among herd owners,
for,
during this period , the institution of nominal private property ownership was not known.
This stage paves the way for ‘the agricultural stage’ during which the class system began to develop.

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There was a small artisan class mostly self-employed; and there were also landed properties or
Zamindars as well as slaves. Thus, arose the feudal system. During the fourth stage of these
developments, ‘the handicrafts stage’, a number of social and economic changes took place which
marked the beginning of the labour problem in the world. The self–sufficient economy of the village
underwent a drastic change. The community of traders and merchants emerged.
1.Humanity’s evolution from primitive stage to the present has been
a) Static and smooth
b) Huge and diversified
c) Always violent
d) Always peaceful
2...... “man’s problem were never before as complicated as they seem to be today” means

DU
a) The present times are the best times of humanity
b) The present times are the crucial period for humanity
c) The present times pose much more challenges to humans than the previous times
d) The present times provide much more facilities than the previous times.
3.Why does the author say that labour problems did not exist during ‘the hunting and fishing
stage’?
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a) There was no nation existing at that time
b) There were no economic, political and social system
c) There was no capitalism and market
d) There was no labour
4.“The pastoral stage was marked by a certain amount of economic activity.” How?
CA
a) Humans started migrating and held goat-herds
b) Humans started owning land
c) Conflicts started as humans owned goats
d) Humans started doing agriculture.
5.Which word in the passage means ‘surfaced’?
a) Quenched
VB

b) Emerged
c) Nomadic
d) Adequately
6. What were the consequences of Feudal system?
a) The handcrafters become very rich
b) The handicrafts stage led to labour problems
c) The villagers were jobless
d) The beginning of the labour issues and evolving of the traders and merchants.
7. Arrange in the right order:
A) Handicraft stage
B) The hunting and fishing stage

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C) Pastoral stage
D) The agricultural stage
a) D,B,C,A
b) D,B, A, C
c) B,C,D,A
d) B,C,A,D
8. The passage over all pictures–
a) The labour issues
b)The stages of man’s development professionally and economically.
c) Wild animals and birds in Nature
d) Nomadic man and modern man.

DU
Section–A Reading Passage–3
Direction ( Q-Nos.1-8) :Read the passage given below
Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a Profession of Physics. At an early
age, she displayed a brilliant mind and a blithe personality. Her great exuberance for learning
prompted
her to continue with her studies after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she
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learned
that the university in Warsaw was closed to women. Determined to receive a higher education, she
defiantly left Poland and in 1891 entered the Sorbonne, a French University where she earned her
master’s degree and decorate in Physics.
Marie was fortunate to have studied at the Sorbanne with some of the greatest scientists of her day,
CA
one of woman whom was married in 1895 and spent many productive years working together in the
physics laboratory. A short time after they discovered radium. Pierre was killed by a horse-drawn
wagon
in 1906. Marie was stunned by this horrible misfortune and endured heart-breaking anguish.
Despondently, she recalled their close relationship and they joy that they had shared in scientific
research. The fact that she had two young daughters to raise by herself greatly increased her
VB

distress.
Curie’s feeling of desolation finally began to fade when she was asked to succeed her husband as a
physics professor at the Sorbonne. She was the first woman to be give a professorship at the world-
famous university. In 1911, she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for isolation radium. Although
Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her long exposure to radium, she never became
disillusioned about her work. Regardless of the consequences, she had dedicated herself to science
and
to revealing the mysteries of the physical world.
1.According to the passage why did Marie’s distress increase?
a) Because she learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to women.
b) Because she had two daughters to look after by herself.

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c) Because she suffered from a fatal disease.

d) Because her husband was killed.
2.Which of the following options can replace the high lighted word ‘disillusioned’in the given
sentence?
Although Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her never becamedisillusioned
about her work.
a) Enchanted
b) Satisfied
c) Disenchanted
d) Contended
3. Select the most appropriate ANTYONYM of the given word. DISGRUNTLED.

DU
a) Contended
b) Vexed
c) Annoyed
d) Irritated
4. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word EXUBERANCE
a) Lethargy
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b) Exhilaration
c) Apathy
d) Coolness
5. Which among the following options is NOT true about Marie according to the passage ?
a) She was the first woman to be appointed as a professor at a world -famous university.
CA
b) She received the Nobel Prize.
c) She was born in Poland.
d) She was killed by a horse drawn wagon.
6. She had studied and succeeded her husband at
a) Sorbonne, a French University
b) Sorbonne, poland
VB

c) Sorbonne
d) Poland
7. She was awarded the Nobel prize for her _____
a) In Physics for Radium
b) For research scientist
c) In Chemistry for isolation radium
d) For discovering Radium
8. The misfortune of losing her husband had endowed responsibility with :
a) Being a professor after her husband
b) To care and raise her daughters
c) Dedicated her services to the science world

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d) All the above

___________________________________________________________________________________
Section–A Reading Passage–4
Direction ( Q-Nos.1-8) :Read the passage given below
Philosophy of Education is a label applied to the study of the purpose, process, nature and ideals of
education. It can be considered a branch of both philosophy and education. Education can be
defined as
the teaching and learning of specific skills , and the imparting of knowledge, judgement and wisdom,
and is something broader that the societal Institution of education we often speak of.
Many educationalists consider it a week and wooly field, too far removed from the practical
applications

DU
of the real world to be useful. But philosophers dating back to Plato and the Ancient Greeks have
given
the area much thought and emphasis, and there is little doubt that their work has helped shape the
practice of education over the millennia.
Plato is the earliest important educational thinker, and education is an essential element in “The
republic

them
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“ ( his most important work on philosophy and political theory, written around360 B.C). In it, he
advocates some rather extreme methods : removingchildren from their mothers’ care and raising

as wards of the state, and differentiating children suitable to the various castes, the highest
receiving
CA
the most education, so that they could act as guardians of the city and care for the less able. He
believed
that education should be holistic, including facts, skills, physical discipline , music and art. Plato
believed
that talent and intelligence is not disturbed genetically and thus is found in children born to all
classes,
VB

although his proposed system of selective public education for an educated minority of the
population
does not really follow a democratic model.
Aristotle considered human nature, habit and reason to be equally important forces to be cultivated
in
education, the ultimate aim of which should be to produce good and virtuous citizens. He proposed
that
teachers lead their students systematically, and that repetition be used as a key tool to develop good
habits, unlike Socrates emphasis on questioning his listeners to bring out their own ideas. He
emphasised
the practical aspects of subjects taught, among which he explicitly mentions reading, writing,

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mathematics, music, physical education, literature , history, and a wide range of sciences, as well as
play,
which he also considered important.
During the Medieval period, the idea of Perennialism was first formulated by St. Thomas Aquinas in
his
art work “De Magistro”. Perennialism holds that one should teach those things deemed to be of
everlasting importance to all people everywhere, namely principles and reasoning, not just facts
( which
are apt to change over time), and that one should teach about people, not machines or techniques. It
was originally religious in nature, and it was only much later that a theory of secular perennialism
developed.

DU
During the Renaissance, the French skeptic Michel de Montaigne ( 1533-1592) was one of the first to
critically look at education. Unusually for his first time, Montaigne was willing to question the
conventional wisdom of the period, calling into question the whole edifice of the educational system,
and the implicit assumptionthat university-educated philosophers were necessarily wiser than
uneducated farm workers.
1. What is the difference between the approaches of Socrates and Aristotle?
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a) Aristotle felt the need for rote-learning : Socrates emphasised on dialogic learning.
b) There was no difference
c) Aristotle emphasised on the importance of paying attention to human nature; Socrates
emphasised upon science.
d) Aristotle felt the need for repetition to develop good habits in students; Socrates felt the
CA
need to be constantly questioned.
2.Why do educationists consider philosophy a ‘weak and woolly’ field?
a) It is not practically applicable.
b) Its theoretical concepts are easily understood.
c) Its is irrelevant for education .
d) None of the above
VB

3.The term ‘Perennialism’, in the context of the given comprehension passage refers to something
_________.
a) Which is quite unnecessary .
b) Which is of ceaseless importance
c) Which is abstract and theoretical
d) Which is existed in the past and no longer exists now.
4.Were Plato’s beliefs about education democratic?
a) He believed that only the rich have the right
b) He believed people are democratic
c) He believed that only a select few are meant to attend schools
d) He believed that all pupils are not talented.

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5. Why did Aquinas propose a model of education which did not lay much emphasis on facts?
a) Facts are not important.
b) Facts do not lead to holistic education
c) Facts change with the changing times
d) Facts are frozen in time.
6. During which period was the education system focused on Religious nature ?
a) Ancient period
b) Medieval period
c) Modern times
d) None of the above
7. During which period there was a shift from conventional education system?

DU
a) Aristotle period
b) 360 B.C
c) 1533-1592
d) Medieval period
8. Which philosopher had felt that a blend of the theory and practical could be a better education
for mankind?
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a) Plato
b) Aristotle
c) De Magistro
d) Michel de Montaigne
______________________________________________________________________
CA
Section–A Reading Passage–5
The village school was located in a prominent place where apart from the school, there were a few
shops, a small temple and a government dispensary. The headmaster of the school was a learned
and
scholarly man loved by all. The dispensary was looked after by a doctor and a male nurse. The
doctor
VB

attended the dispensary very punctually and used to retire to his residence after the duty hours and
never allowed anyone to visit his residence after the duty hours.
The school was housed in a dilapidated building and very often the headmaster used to take the
children
out to the nearby garden where they could play and take the children out to the nearby garden where
they could play and take part in various sports and games under the able supervision of the
headmaster.
One day a stray dog entered the garden when the children were playing. One of them pelted stone at
the dog and it started barking and all of a sudden became boisterous and bit a child in the leg. The
boy
was very badly hurt and his leg started bleeding. The children who by this time became panicky

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rushed
to the headmaster together with a few students took the child to the nearby dispensary and gone to
his
residence.
The headmaster took the injured child to the residence of the doctor and knocked at the door of the
doctor for help. But the doctor refused to open the door and make it clear that he would not attend to
anyone howsoever serious he may be during his leisure hours. However the headmaster continued
to
knock at the door and finally the doctor opened the door when he saw the headmaster trembling
with
fear and the student crying in agony and pain.

DU
The doctor mellowed down now and took the child to the dispensary for bandaging the wound and
giving necessary injections and medicines. The doctor was impressed by the dedication and
sincerity of
the headmaster. He realized his folly and decided to attend to the needy and sick even during his
leisure
hours.
-M
1.Where was the village school located ?
a) It was located in a dense forest
b) It was located near the market place
c) It was located in a building that needed repairs
d) It was located near a garden
CA
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2. How did the doctor spend his time after duty hours?
a) He played cards with the neighbours.
b) He rested in at home and disallowed visitors .
c) He slept and dreamt
d) He read spiritual and religious books.
VB

3. What did the headmaster do ?

a) He took the children out to the nearby garden where they could play.
b) He went to the nearby garden and sat there for hours together
c) He discussed politics with the teachers
d) He went around the school housed in a dilapidated building .
4. What made the dog bark at the children?
a) They did not give the dog anything to eat.
b) The dog saw another dog in the garden .
c) The dog was feeling hungry and wanted something to eat.
d) One of the boys did some mischief to the dog.
5. What happened to the boy bitten by the dog?

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a) The boy started laughing

b) The boy became unconscious
c) The boy was very badly hurt and his leg started bleeding
d) The boy started pelting stones at the dog.
6. How did the other children react ?
a) The children can away from the scene.
b)The children should for help
c) The children shouted for help
d) The children became panicky and rushed to the headmaster.
7. What happened when the head master took the child to the dispensary?
a) The doctor had left the dispensary and gone home.

DU
b) The doctor stated talking pleasantly with the headmaster
c) The doctor ordered a cup of tea for the headmaster and sweets for the children
d) The doctor welcomed the headmaster to his room
8. What promoted the doctor to open his door?
a) The doctor’s desire for a stroll in garden
b) The doctor thought his friend was knocking at the door
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c)The doctor’s longing for fresh air
d)The continued knock at the door by the headmaster .
Reading Passage–1 Answers
1.d. The old man was eating food in a wooden bowl.( because he was served in the wooden bowl)
2b. Selfish( was not concerned about the old man)
CA
3.d. Other than those given in the options.( the old man was not able to eat properly)
4.c. He wanted it for giving food to his mother when she became old.( what the elders do the child
follows)
5. a. store (Preserve means store:opposite and not)
6.d. Too late to be of any use( a phrase)
7.c. The wooden Bowl( The story revolves around the wooden bowl)
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8. a. Remember( recollect means remember)
__________________________________________________________________________
Reading Passage–2 Answers
1.b. Huge and diversified( has changed with time )
2.c. The present times pose much more challenges to humans than the previous times( man facing
more challenges)
3.b . There were no economic, political and social system( They hunted for themselves)
4.a . Humans started migrating and held goat-herds .( It is guessed to live a better life)
5.b. Emerged( other three words are irrelevant)
6.d. The beginning of the labour issues and evolving of the traders and merchants. (artisans,

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zamindars and slaves were existing)

7. c . B,C,D,A( mankind started life first hunting and fishing, pastoral, agricultural, then handicraft.
8.b. The stages of man’s development professionally and economically.( history of mankind)
____________________________________________________________________________
Reading Passage–3 Answers
1.b. Because she had two daughters to look after by herself.( Marie’s distress)
2.c. Disenchanted( similar meaning of disilliusioned)
3.a. Contended(opposite of disgruntled )
4.b. Exhilaration( Similar meaning of Exuberance)
5.d. She was killed by a horse drawn wagon.( her husband was killed by the horse drawn wagon)
6.a. Sorbonne, a French University( her studies and took as professor after her husband’s death)

DU
7.c. In Chemistry for isolation radium( awarded)
8.d. All the above( she took care of her children )
______________________________________________________________________________
Reading Passage–4 Answers
1. d.Aristotle felt the need for repetition to develop good habits in students; Socrates felt the
need to be constantly questioned.( philosophy of Aristotle and Socrates)
-M
2.a.It is not practically applicable.( difficult in real life)
3.c. Which is of ceaseless importance( definition )
4.b. He believed people are democratic( people’s democracy and education)
5.c.Facts change with the changing times( changing phase of thoughts of men)
6.b.Medieval period( A shift from religion to principles and reasoning).
CA
7.c.1533-1592 (( renaissance period)
8.b. Aristotle( he believed that theory and practical should go hand in hand)
_________________________________________________________________________
Reading Passage–5 Answers
1. c.It was located in a building that needed repairs
2. b. He rested in at home and disallowed visitors
VB

3. a. He took the children out to the nearby garden where they could play.
4. d. One of the boys did some mischief to the dog.
5. c. The boy was very badly hurt and his leg started bleeding
6. d. The children became panicky and rushed to the headmaster.
7. a. The doctor had left the dispensary and gone home.
8. d. The continued knock at the door by the headmaster

EXAMPLES OF WRITING SKILLS:

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VB

LETTER WRITING:
You are Shrey/Shreya. Write an application in response to the following advertisement in a national daily. You
consider yourself suitable and eligible for this post.

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Applications are invited for the post of a Nursery Teacher / PRT in Y.K. International School, Ghaziabad, U.P.
The candidate must have a minimum of 3 years experience of teaching at the primary and pre-primary level.
The candidate must have a pleasant and energetic personality. An attractive salary is offered. Interested
candidates should apply to the Principal with a detailed resume.
Answer:
A-59, A.P. Block
Kavi Nagar
Ghaziabad 2011XX
Uttar Pradesh
20 April 20XX
The Principal
Y.K. International School
Ghaziabad 2011XX
Uttar Pradesh
Dear Sir
Subject: Application for the Post of a Nursery Teacher

DU
This is in response to your advertisement in The Times of India of 20 April 20XX. I am a qualified Nursery
Teacher and wish to apply for the job.
I am 25 years old and a graduate from Raghunath College, Meerut University, Meerut. I completed the course
for Nursery Teaching from the College of Education, Meerut. I have a diploma in Art and Craft. I can teach
songs and dance to small children.
I am currently teaching in Sunrise Primary school, Ghaziabad. I wish to join your school for better career
prospects.
I am enclosing my detailed biodata. I hope you will find my qualifications satisfactory. Hoping for an early
response.
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With regards
Yours faithfully
Shreya
Encl. : Biodata
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REPORT WRITING:
1. 5th June has been recognised as World Environment Day. Your school conducted various activities to
commemorate the day. Write a report about it in about 150-200 words for your school magazine. You
are Karuna/Karan. (10 marks) [CBSE Sample Paper 2017]
Answer:

World Environment Day

By Karan
VB

5 June 20XX, Cuttack – Our school, Odisha Senior Secondary School Cuttack celebrated World Environment
Day from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the school campus. The Educational Minister of the state, Mr. Y.S. Patra,
inaugurated the exhibition put up by the SST Dept and students of the middle school. There were stalls
exhibiting various recycled products, waste management methods, pollution control methods and schemes,
awareness through posters, PowerPoint presentations, and role-plays.
The centre stage on the playground used Preserve Our Environment as a theme for songs, dances, mimes, and
one-act play saplings were generously distributed to encourage tree plantation at an individual’s level. A debate
and recitation competition was held on an inter-school basis.
Our school got the Runners-up Trophy while GKP Public was adjudged the Best All-Rounder. The celebration
came to an end with a vote of thanks by the Headmistress, Sundarilaal Pathak, and the National Anthem was
sung by all of us.

2. Recently your school held a Seminar on Conservation of Water as a part of World Water Day celebrations. As
the School Pupil Leader of Maryland School, Gurgaon, write a report in 100-125 words for a local daily. Sign as
Pritham/Preeti.

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Seminar On Water Conservation

By: Preeti
Maryland School,

Gurgaon 16th March, 20xx, Gurgaon: Our school organised a seminar on ‘Water Conservation’ as part of the
World Water Day Celebrations on 13th August, 20xx. The main aim of this seminar was to remind us all about
the need to save the government and the non-governmental organisations in providing help water as it is a
precious source imperative for our survival.
distinguished environmentalists and eminent personalities were our guest speakers and they reiterated the
need not only of conserving water but also spoke at length on how to conserve water by stressing upon the
fact that each drop of water is precious. Dr. Yashraj, an eminent environmentalist, suggested rain-water
harvesting as one of the best ways to conserve water.
Using visual aids to highlight his discourse, he suggested that to ensure availability of water for the future
generations the withdrawal of fresh water from an ecosystem should not exceed its natural replacement rate.

DU
The seminar concluded on the note that water conservation is the most cost-effective, environmentally sound
way to reduce our demand for water and so each one of us must do our bit towards improving water
management to enhance optimum use of water.

ARTICLE WRITING:
Question 1. The number of women in the police force seems insufficient especially when we see the
increasing involvement of women in terrorist activities. Write an article in 150-200 words for The Hindustan
Chronicle’, on the need of having more women in the police force.

-M Need Of Having More

Women In The Police Force

Women empowerment and participation has seen a radical improvement in the recent few decades. Women
are no longer confined to their homes and have come forward to excel in almost all fields, at par with men. But
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it has been observed that the number of women in the police force seems insufficient especially when we
compare their increasing number in terrorist activities. Women are sure to prove their worth in the police force
as they are more committed to the cause they work for and less corrupt, two qualities that are lacking in
policemen. The government needs to increase the reserved quota for recruitment of women in the police force.
Women need to be given incentives to join the police force and this is sure to prove favourable as they bring
with them a distinctly different and valuable set of skills that is bound to change the way the police is
perceived in our community.
As the job description of the police expands beyond crime-fighting into community service the presence of
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more women in the police force is sure to help to burnish the tarnished image of the police officers, improve
community relations and foster a more flexible and less violent approach to maintaining law and order.
Question 2. In many parts of our country girls are still discouraged from going to school. Consequently, a
sizable section of the population is deprived of education. Schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, CBSE
scholarship to the single girl child and the Government’s policy of giving free education to girls have come as a
boon to our society. Write an article in 150-200 words on the education of the girl child in the country.

Education Of The Girl

Child In The Country
Education of girls has been a high priority with the Government of India. In the new millennium, India has
consolidated its earlier educational reforms with increased resources and stronger policy commitments for
achieving elementary education, particularly for girls. Reaching out to the girl child is primary to the efforts to
universalise elementary education. ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ or ‘Education For All’ programme recognizes that
ensuring the education of the girl child requires changes not only in the education system but also in society’s
norms and attitudes.
A two-pronged gender strategy has hence been adopted to make the educational system responsive to the

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needs of the girls through targeted interventions which serve as a pull-factor to enhance access and retention
of girls in schools on the one hand and generate community demand for girls’ education through training and
mobilisation on the other hand.
The CBSE has also come up with the novel scheme of providing free education from the sixth standard
onwards to the single girl child. The need of the times is that the government should further improve the
educational infrastructure and make it more accessible and meaningful for the girl child.
INVITATION:
1. Sunrise Global School, Agra is going to organize a one-act play competition in the
school auditorium. You have decided to invite noted stage artiste, Nalini to grace the
occasion. Draft a formal invitation for her in about 50 words. You are Karuna/Karan,
Cultural Secretary.

The Principal, Staff And Teachers

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Of

Sunrise Public School

take pleasure in inviting

noted stage artist

-M MS. NALINI

to grace the one-act play competition

in the School Auditorium

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on Tuesday, 1st April, 20xx

From 8:30 am to 11:00 am RSVP

Awaiting a favourable response from your end.

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RSVP

Karuna, Cultural Secretary

987xxxxx00

2. On 30th November your school is going to hold its annual sports day. You want Mr.
Dhanraj Pillai, a noted hockey player to give away the prizes to the budding
sportspersons of the school. Write a formal invitation in about 50 words requesting
him to grace the occasion. You are Karun^/Karan, Sports Secretary, Sunrise Global

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School, Agra. (All India)

Sunrise Global School

takes pleasure in inviting

Noted Hockey Player

MR, DHANRAJ PILLAI

to grace the occasion of its

Annual Sports Day

DU
and to give away prizes to our budding sportspersons

on 30th November, 20xx

From 8:00 am to 12:00 pm

RSVP
-M Awaiting a favourable response from your end.
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Koruna

Sports Secretary
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*****************************ALL THE BEST *******************************

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