Participants

1. Nandini
2. Om
3. Aiden
4. Aayush
5. Jawaan
6.
7.
Vedant
Parth THE ADDRESS
-By Marga Minco
8. Roshwyn
9. Isaac
 About the Author

The author of the chapter “The Address” is Marga Minco. She was born on 31
March, 1920. Her childhood name was Sara Menco. Her real surname was Menco,
but an official accidently switched the first vowel. The occupation of the author is
journalist and she was a writer. She speaks Dutch language. She published her first
book in 1957 named “The Bitter Herb”. Her other famous books are “The house next
door, Antipodeans, The glass bridge and many more…. She has also got many awards
for her work like Vijverberg Prize in 1958, P.C. Hooft Award for her entire oeuvre in
2019 etc..
- Om
 Character sketch (Author Marga Minco)
Marga Minco is a Jewish girl who faced the pain, sufferings, and losses,
including the irreparable loss of her dear mother in war. She is a brave
and courageous girl who faces the challenges of a lonely life after the
war is over. Minco is attached to her mother’s things and after
returning to her home city, she goes to Mrs. Dorling to claim her
mother’s things back. Mrs. Dorling’s cold, indifferent and discouraging
behaviour further depresses her. She had already suffered many losses,
including the irreparable loss of her dear mother. Finally, she decides to
leave her mother’s things and forget them forever as the things will
evoke her mother’s memories more often and make her more
miserable.
- Aayush
 Character Sketch Mrs. S (Narrator’s
Mother)
The war in Holland proved to be a disaster for her. She was forced to
part with all her nice and precious belongings and was exploited by
Mrs. Dorling who promised that her belongings were safe with her, but
they never received them again. Also, she couldn’t survive the war and
died.

- Aayush
Character Sketch of Mrs. Dorling’s
Daughter
She is a guileless young woman and is very different from her mother
as she politely asked the narrator to come in and made her feel
comfortable. Mrs. Dorling’s daughter also offered her tea and showed
the house to her.

- Aayush
 Character Sketch of Mrs. Dorling
Mrs. Dorling is portrayed in the story as an unethical character. She
took the author’s and her author’s mother’s belongings like clothes,
utensils etc. in guise of taking care but she actually wanted to have it
for herself. Mrs. Dorling was dishonest. She did not invite Marga to her
house to treat her like a good guest.

- Aayush
 Short Summary about the story
The Address summary will help you learn easily
about the story written by Margo Minco. It gives
an account of the chaos which follows war. We see
what it does to humans and their behaviour. You
can feel the pain, grief and mental torture the
survivors of war have to go through. It is about the
author’s story, who is a Jew and returns to her
native home post-war. After suffering many losses,
she even loses her mother. Further, it is about how
she handles the world alone after going through so
much pain. Moreover, we learn about the world’s
cruelty towards the oppressed. Upon suffering
from further oppression, she realizes a lesson in a
tough way. She comes to realize that nothing is
kept in materialistic things and she gives
everything up. Thus, it shows us about human
pain and self-actualization.
- Aiden
MORE ABOUT THE STORY
Mrs. S's Daughter visits Number 46 Macaroni
street
The narrator was at number 46, Marconi Street. She was the daughter of
Mrs. 'S’. She pressed the bell. The women opened the door. She was Mrs.
Dorling. The women’s face showed absolutely no sign of recognition. She
kept staring at the narrator in silence. The girl had once seen the women
years ago. She realized that perhaps she had rung the wrong bell. But
soon her doubt was set to rest. The women were wearing a green
cardigan which was given by the narrator’s mother. She was shocked to
see her mother’s cardigan. 

- Jawaan
 The women refuses to Recognize the girl

The girl asked the women if she still knew her. Mrs. Dorling replied that she
did not. She stood there dumbfounded. The narrator then told her that she
was the daughter of Mrs. 'S'. The women asked “have you come back?” it
was clear that she was not pleased to see the girl again. She said that she
was the only one who survived and came back. The women expressed
regret that she could not do anything for her. The narrator told her that she
had come especially for her by train; she wanted to talk to her for a
moment. But the lady showed her helplessness. She was not ready to
entertain the girl, and asked her to come at another time. 
- Vedant
 The Narrator thought of her mother
The Narrator got lost in old memories about her mother. Her mother had given
her the address of Mrs. Dorling years ago. Holland was War stricken. It had
been in the first half of the war. She remembered how Mrs. Dorling came to
her house for a few days. The narrator noticed that the things in her house
were missing. Her mother then told her about Mrs. Dorling. She had never
heard other before. Clearly Mrs. Dorling must have been an old acquaintance
of her mother. Suddenly Mrs. Dorling started coming regularly to their house.

- Roshwyn
 Mrs. Dorling's Frequent Visit's

Mrs. Dorling came frequently. Overtime she visited, she took something
with her. One day she took all the silverware. The she took away the
antique plates hung on the wall. Mrs. S told her daughter that Mrs.
Dorling wanted to save all her articles. It was war time. If they had to
leave the place, they would lose everything the daughter wanted to know
if there was written agreement that Mrs. Dorling would return all the
articles safely. The girl could not trust anyone so blindly. Mrs. 'S' replied
that it was not necessary. Mrs. S was thankful to Mrs. Dorling for what
she was doing for her.
- Nandini
 Second Visits to Mrs. Dorling's House.

The Narrators first visit was not rewarding. She paid a second visit to
see Mrs. Dorling. This time she met her 15 year old daughter in the
house. Mrs. Dorling was not there. She decides to wait for Mrs.
Dorling.

- Parth
The Daughter sees her mother's belongings

The narrator found herself in the midst of things. These things once
Belong to her mother. She wanted to see them again. All those things
were taken away by Mrs. Dorling and kept in her house. She was pained
to see that these items were arranged tastelessly. The ugly furniture and
muggy smell upset her. The girl brought tea for her. Then she opened a
box and took some spoons out of it. The narrator also looked at the
antique plates. She knew that all that cutlery, knives, forks and spoons
were of silver. She couldn’t connect with them and decided to leave the
house.
- Isaac 
 Questions on the Topic
Q1. Whom did the narrator desire to meet in Holland?
Ans. The narrator was told by her mother to remember ‘Number 46
Marconi Street’, where Mrs. Dorling lived; she had insisted on keeping
their things safely till the war was over. After the war, the narrator was
curious about their possessions that were still at that address and she
went to meet Mrs. Dorling.
 Questions on the Topic
Q2. Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?
Ans. The narrator was disappointed and disillusioned when she was
allowed to enter Mrs. Dorling’s house during her second visit. She
realized the futility of feeling attached to her mother’s belongings that
were kept so distasteful. She just left without taking anything back and
felt like forgetting the address because she would only remember the
past.
 Questions on the Topic
Q3. What kind of a welcome did the narrator get from Mrs. Dorling?
Ans. Mrs. Dorling was cold and indifferent and evidently displeased to
see the author. In fact, she tried to prevent her from entering by
blocking her entrance. Later, she said it was not convenient for her to
talk to the narrator at that point of time and refused to meet her.