THE LETTER

DHUMAKETU
Dhumketu’s story ‘The Letter’ is a romantic story. It depicts the emotion of parental love.
An old man always thinks of his children. The news from them and about them is always
welcome but when a daughter does not write to her father for years, the father dies
requesting some one to send her letter to his grave when it arrives.

1. What strange request did Ali make to the clerk in the post office?
2. What difference did the postmaster perceive in Ali’s face when he came in the
morning to collect Miriam’s letter?
3. What change came over the postmaster after going through his own agony?
4. Who was Ali? What peculiar obsession did he have?
5. Why does Ali’s in the story evoke the reader’s pity?
6. ‘Ali is an embodiment of love and patience’ Justify the statement?
7. Why was Ali’s visit to the post office compared to the pilgrimage?
8. In the lesson ‘The Letter’ what transforms Ali and how?
9. How did he relate his pain to the pain of the animals?
10. What proved Ali’s talent as a shikari?
11. ‘The post office, one of the uninteresting buildings in the world….” Who is
being referred to here? Why did he come the post office? Why has the
journey? Why has the journey been described as a pilgrimage?
12. Draw a brief pen picture of the postmaster?
13. Why do you think did Ali stop coming to the post office for several days?
Give reasons for your answer?
14. Why do you think did Ali lose his patience? How did he express it?
15. What was the postmaster reaction to Ali? What was Ali’s reaction? What does
it reveal about him?
16. Why were Ali’s eyes filled with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his
patience but not his faith?
17. Whom did Ali meet on his way back from the Post Office? What request did
he make to him? Why did he do so?
18. Describe the change in the postmaster’s attitude? Why was the postmaster
tortured by doubt and remorse?
19. What was the change noticed inn Ali by the postmaster, the night when he
went to receive the letter?
20. Does the reader’s opinion of the postmaster, undergo change in the end of the
story?
21. Where was Ali heading to and why?

Your passion will define your limits…..strive for more.

 22. Describe the scene of the town and the feelings of the old man as he walks
towards his pilgrimage?
23. Describe the attitude of the postmaster towards him. Attitude change towards
the end of the story. Explain.
24. Compare and contrast the character of Ali and the postmaster.
25. “Ali displays qualities of love and patience” Give evidence forum the story to
support the statement.
26. Why did Ali give up hunting?
27. What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story?
28. “Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post
office. His eyes filled with tears of helplessness…. Why were Ali’s eyes filled
with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his patience but not his faith?
29. “Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigiri
to wait’ who is tortured by doubt and remorse? Why? What is he waiting for?
30. How did the people at the post office treat Ali?
31. How did the post office become a place of pilgrimage for Ali?
32. How did the postmaster behave with Ali on the last day?
33. What did Ali do to ensure that Miriam’s letter would be delivered to him?
34. What bewildered and puzzled the postmaster?
35. What did the postmaster do with Ali’s letter that he had finally received?
36. Describe Ali as a father.
37. How was the postmaster’s heart filled with sympathy?
38. What did postmaster do with the letter written by Miriam to Ali?
39. When did the postmaster see Ali’s ghost?
40. ‘The postmaster was a changed person in the end. How?
41. Why do you think the postman wanted to deliver the letter to Ali himself?
42. What happened when he heard a knock at the door?
43. Though Ali was ruthless hunter during his young days, he displayed qualities
of love and patience. Present evidence from the text.
44. The postmaster realizes his mistake but by then it is too late, What mistake
has the postmaster made? How does he realize it?
45. Quote instances form the story, which show that Ali was a familiar face at
post office.
46. The postmaster calls Ali a mad man. Was he justified in doing so? Give
reasons in support of your answer?
47. Why did Ali give golden guineas to one of the clerks at the post office?
48. Why do the people working in the post office make fun of Ali and ridicule
him?
49. Bring out the role played by the letter in the story by Dhumaketu.
50. Ali exhibits the qualities of a father like love for his offspring and patience.
Quote instances form the story that brings out these qualities.

Lali Mathew M.A. M.Ed Sh. Bagh 27492907 9810312549

 51. Ali’s eyes were filled with a sense of helplessness he had exhausted his
patience. Why?
52. The old man Ali a hunter in his hey days was now an old lonely man, How?
53. “Ali left his old ways and suddenly took a new turn” Why did his life take a
new turn?
54. Suppose you are the stern faced postmaster. You realize how inconsiderate the
postmen were. They ridiculed Ali. You now understand the essential human
worth of a letter. Prepare a speech encouraging everyone to perform their duty
with warmth.
55. Imagine yourself to be the postmaster of the post office, which Ali visited.
When you come to know of Ali’s death you are full of remorse. You decided
to record feelings in your diary. Write the diary entry.
56. The story tries to bring forth the aspect that whatever may be one’s status or
position in life the love and concern for children, which a parent possesses, is
the same. Elaborate in about 150 words.
57. Imagine you are Lakshmi Das, the clerk. After delivering the letter at Ali’s
grave, you observe an immense change in the postmaster. Write a letter to you
friend telling him about the transformation.
58. You are Coachman Ali. Make a diary entry expressing your feelings after you
have given five gold guineas to Lakshmi Das.
59. What do you know of Ali from the story?
60. What are the instances cited which make one realize that Ali was an
accomplished hunter? (150 words)
61. Justify the title of the story.
62. Imagine you are the postmaster. When you get to know of Ali’s death you
write a letter to his daughter because you now feel it is your duty to inform her
63. Ali thinks of writing a letter to his friend about his feelings on not having
received any news of his daughter and about what he did before his death.
Write this letter on his behalf.
64. The postmaster is ridden by a sense of remorse at what he had done to Ali and
he decides to white a letter to his friend. Imagine yourself as the postmaster
and write a letter on his behalf.
65. Ali writes his diary page after he returns form the post office disappointed and
as he has not received any letter form his daughter. He also writes about the
way he was ridiculed by the post office staff. Write this diary page on Ali’s
behalf. Imagine you are Ali.
66. Lakshmi Das received Miriam’s letter addressed to Ali. He got hold of her
address. He decides to write her a letter to give her the news of her father
Ali’s death. He also tells her about Ali’s wish and how he fulfilled it. Imagine
yourself as Lakshmi Das and write this letter to Miriam.
67. Imagine yourself to be Ali. You are disappointed and upset that your daughter
Miriam hasn’t written a single letter to you in the last five years. You decide
to write your feelings in your diary. Write the diary entry.

Lali Mathew M.A. M.Ed Sh. Bagh 27492907 9810312549

 68. The postmaster is anxious, as he doesn’t receive any letterform his daughter.
He decides to write a letter to her. Write his letter.
69. Lakshmi Das, the clerk at the post office is taken aback when Ali hands all his
savings to him. He decides to write his feelings in the diary. Write his diary
entry.
70. Imagine yourself to be the postmaster. You went to the grave of Ali and
placed his daughter’s letter. After doing so you decided to write his feelings in
to your friend. Write the letter in about 150 words.

Your passion will define your limits…..strive for more.

Lali Mathew M.A. M.Ed Sh. Bagh 27492907 9810312549