A Roadside Stand – Robert Frost

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

Stanza 1

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

Meaning

• Out with – Extended

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

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

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

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

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

Questions & Answers

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

Stanza 3

The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead

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

Collected and Compiled By

SAMIUN ISLAM
 Questions & Answers

1. What do you mean by ‘polished traffic?

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

Offered for sale are wild berries in wooden quarts

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

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

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

Stanza 5

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

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

1. What do the poor people of the roadside stand feel when the citymen decline from buying anything?
When the rich city men decline to buy articles from the roadside stand, the poor runners of the stand feel dejected and angry. They
ask the city men to keep their money with them and leave the roadside stand without further bargain or comments.
2. How do the rich people behave meanly in front of the roadside stand?
3. Do you justify the poor people’s growing angry with the rich people’s attitude? Explain your stand.
Stanza 6

The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint

So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:

Collected and Compiled By

SAMIUN ISLAM
 Questions & Answers

1. Why is the poet’s complaint different from that of the rich city men?
The rich city men have their hollow complaints that come out of their failure to understand the core level struggles of the poor.
But the poet is concerned for the poor and therefore his complaints are relevant.
2. What do you mean by the trusting sorrow of the poor people?
The poor people are instinctively sensitive and expectant to the promises of the rich and the mighty. They believe their hollow
promises and wait for their realization. But finally their hopes give way to the miserable realization that the promises made by the
rich are not meant to be fulfilled.
3. What do you understand when the poet says that the trusting sorrow of the poor people is ‘unsaid?’
The poor people place their trust in the fake promises of the rich people and the ruling parties and consequently become sorrowful.
The poet complains that this sorrow of the poor people has not been brought to the serious concern of the concerned authorities,
media and the public.
Next – Stanza 7

Here, far from the city we make our roadside stand

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

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

1. What do the people at the roadside stand expect from the rich? What for?
The poor people at the roadside stand expect the generosity of the rich city people. They hope to alleviate their poverty by getting
money from the city people.
2. How is feeling in hand different from the false promises of the parties?
Feeling in hand means possessing what the parties in power have promised, not owning mere promises. If one feels the promised
money in hand, it means he has acquired it rather than being fooled by the parties that have given them the promises.
3. What is city money? How is city money expected to help the poor people?
Unlike the meager amount of money possessed by the poor villager, city money is considerably huge. The city money is expected
by the poor villager not only to alleviate his wretched state of poverty, but also to give his a considerable financial rise in life.
Next – Stanza 8

And give us the life of the moving pictures’ promise

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

1. What are moving pictures? What kind of life is promised by the ‘moving pictures?
The movies the poor people have watched are full of promises for them. In those movies they saw people who journeyed from
poverty to prosperity.
2. What do ‘the parties in power’ ‘keep from the poor people?
The governments and the corrupted politicians keep the share and the allotted rights of the poor people away from them and use
that for their selfish motives.
3. How are the rich politicians responsible for the misery of the poor people?
The rich and corrupted politicians keep the money assigned by the government for the poor people in their own malicious hands
and make selfish use of them, thus depriving the poor people of their rights, happiness and all that they deserve.
Stanza 9

It is in the news that all these pitiful kin

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

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

The media keep on advertising that the governments are planning schemes for the welfare of the poor people.

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

While greedy good doers, beneficent beasts of prey,

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

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

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

The rich people through their alluring promises of peace of mind and prosperity in life teach the poor people sleep.
2. Are the poor able to sleep? Why? Who are really able to sleep?
The poor people are unable to sleep as promised by the rich as the promises were not meant to be. On the contrary the rich people
are able to sleep peacefully with the satisfaction of making themselves richer by exploiting the poor.
3. How do the influential rich destroy the sleep of the poor? How is this done in the ancient times?
The influential rich people give the poor great promises and exploit them to make profit out of them. This destroys the sleep of the
poor people. This method of the rich and mighty is as old as the human civilizations.
Next – Stanza 12

Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear

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

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

The poor people’s uncertain and futile expectation for the city money is the childish longing. It is in vain as the rich city people do
not have the generosity to help them. OR: Children long to achieve things beyond their reach; but never get them. The poor
people’s expectation that the rich people would give them money is their childish longing. it is in vain because the hard-hearted
rich people never give them a penny.
2. Why can’t the poet bear the childish longing of the poor people?
The poet is a true humanitarian who is genuinely concerned for the poor people’s misfortunes. He wants a solution for their
poverty. But seeing how childish their longings are, the poet feels it unbearable.
3. What sadness remains at the window of the roadside stand?
There is a sadness of helplessness, of unfulfilled promises and of being fooled by the parties in power remaining near the roadside
stand.

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SAMIUN ISLAM
4. What is the prayer of the open window?
The open window is praying for a generous traveler stopping at the stand to buy something and paying a generous amount to
alleviate the distress of the poor people.
5. Why is the ‘open window’ said to be in ‘open prayer’ for the city people’s generosity?
The open window of the roadside stand has acquired the attitude of poor people of the roadside stand. Just like the people, the
window also expects the city-men to stop their cars to help the poor people.
Stanza 13

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

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

1. How do the poor people react to the squeal of brake in front of the roadside stand?
At the sound of the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car, the poor people at the stand feel their spirits cheered at the
possible arrival of a customer to buy their things.
2. Why are the cars called ‘selfish cars?
The cars are selfish because the people who travel in them are self centered.
3. What do you understand by ‘farmer’s prices?’ Who want to know that? Possibly why?
Farmer’s prices refer to the wages for which the farmer could be hired to work in the city. Farmer’s prices can also refer to the
prices of the berries, squash and paintings displayed at the roadside stand for sale.
4. What make you think that the city men stopped at the roadside stand to hire farmers to work in the city and that farmer’s
price refers to the per head wages to be paid to a farmer for working in the city?
Stanza 14

And one did stop, but only to plow up grass

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

1. How do the city men plow up grass in the yard of the roadside stand?
The insensitive and selfish city men drive their cars into the yard of the roadside stand to back and turn it around, leaving a huge
cloud of grass plowed up.
2. What is the most queer demand of the rich man at the roadside stand? How is it queer?
The insensitive city man demands a gallon of gas at the roadside stand. This is queer because the city man is not aware of the fact
that the poor man cannot provide him with expensive items such as gas.
3. Why are the poor people angry with the city men when they ask for gas?
The roadside stand has the store of wild berries, squash and paintings which are never bought buy the city men. On the contrary
the city men require a gallon of gas and the roadside stand does not have it for sale. This helplessness make the poor people angry.
Next – Stanza 15

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

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

• They – The villagers

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

1. Why do the people at the roadside stand talk ‘crossly’ with the rich people?
The poor people sometimes become angry with the rich people. The latter refuse to buy the wild berries at the stand at a price
demanded by the owners of the stand. They indulge in bargain and blame the berries and squash. But the poor, who know the rich
people are so mean, grow angry at their unwillingness to help them by parting with a little amount of their money.

Collected and Compiled By

SAMIUN ISLAM
2. How is money important for the village people?
The village people think that money is important for growth in the village. They hope to make improvements in their wretched
state of life.
3. What are the two significant roles of money in the lives of the poor people?
Money is the measuring rode of growth for the village people. They estimate their economic growth by means of the small amount
of money at hand. Similarly, money is necessary for a villager to feel confident. He feels a ‘lift of spirit’ with money in reach.
4. How does money become the ‘requisite lift of spirit for the country men?
Money is the most important requirement for man in the modern world. If one has money at hand then he feels confident and a
feeling of his spirit being lifted.
5. Why is money never found in the villages?
It is a common truth that countryside is backward and therefore it remains poor and penniless. Moreover the country folks are easy
targets of the politicians and business-men and therefore they are easily cheated and looted. Besides, if these poor people are given
money then they will migrate to prosperous cities or make a city in the place of their village.
Stanza 16

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

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

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

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

1. What is the voice of the country?

The voice of the country is that the rich people have no concern for them, and that they are being exploited, cheated and given
false promises by the parties in power, and that there is no end for their miseries.
2. Why can’t the poet help ‘own’ the relief of helping the poor out of their poverty at one stroke?
The poet wants to see that the poor people are given some kind of help and support by the rich people but he knows that this
would not happen. When he fails to see this, he allows himself to dream that these poor people have been helped by some
supernatural powers to alleviate their miseries.
3. What kind of a relief does the poet dream for the poor people?
The poet dreams of a supernatural help for the poor people, a touch of magic or the like, so that the poor people will be redeemed
from their state of poverty and misery instantly.
4. Why does the poet seek an unrealistic solution for the poor people’s distress even though he himself blamed them earlier
for their ‘childish longing in vain?’
The poet, unlike the greedy good-doers, genuinely wishes to get the poor people out of their pain, poverty and endless miseries but
he is sad and helpless to see that there is no one to help them come out of their poverty. This helplessness drives the poet to seek
an unrealistic solution for the poor people’s misery.
Stanza 17

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

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

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

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

1. What does the poet see when he comes back into his senses?
The poet sees the city cars still passing without feelings, the helplessness of the poor people and the endless misery of the people
at the roadside stand.
2. What does the poet want his readers do for him?
The poet is greatly distressed that the poor people are not helped by the government and rich people. He finally resorts to some

Collected and Compiled By

SAMIUN ISLAM
 heavenly help for the poor by which their poverty would be removed. But soon he realizes how childish his dreams are seeing that
the poor haven’t improved. At this point the poet wants his readers to promise him to help the poor.
3. What is the poet’s pain?
The poet’s pain is that the poor people are still waiting for the rich people’s generosity and that the rich people never help the poor
people. He is also sad that his insane dreams of the poor people helped by a stroke were only dreams.
4. How can his readers remove the poet’s pain?
The readers can get the poet out of his pain by offering to help the poor people.

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 of the lesson

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 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 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 the ozone layer will affect the lives of the sea-animals

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SAMIUN ISLAM
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 temperature 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 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

Que. What is Antarctica?

Ans. Antarctica is southern continent of the earth. It is the driest, coldest and windiest continent.

Que. What is ‘Students on Ice? (Imp)

Ans. ‘Students on Ice’ is an educational journey to Antarctica. It takes high school students to show

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.

Que. 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

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SAMIUN ISLAM
the planet from further deterioration.

Que. 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 ice-

bergs, 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.

Que. 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

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.

Que. 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 ice-

floes. We can also walk on the thin layers of ice and feel the life under our feet. We can see icebergs as

big as a small country. We will be shocked to hear that these ice sheets were many times bigger thantheir 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.

Que. What are phytoplanktons? How are they important for the earth’s survival? What does

the parable of phytoplankton teach us? (Imp)

Ans. Phytoplankton is a single-celled grass that feed the entire southern ocean’s marine life. These

micro organisms require a low degree of temperature for their survival. But due to the overheating and

the depletion of ozone layers, their existence is threatened. The message for the humans is to take care

of the small things so that the bigger things will also fall in place.

Que. 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.

Que. 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.

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SAMIUN ISLAM
Que. 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.

Que. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica: How is the study of this

region useful to us? (Imp)

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.

Que. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past

And future? (Imp)

Ans.

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

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

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present, past and future. Thus, Antarctica is the perfect place to go to, to understand the earth’s

present, past and the future.

Word-meanings-

Boarded- stepped (climed) onto a ship

Heading towards- moving towards

Windiest- having the maximum wind

Continent- a large mass of land surrounded by sea

Time Zones- 24 areas of the world, each has its own time

Check points- places on the boarders where officials check people and vehicles

Landmass - large area of land

Giant- hugeQue. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past

And future? (Imp)

Ans.

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

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.

Word-meanings-

Boarded- stepped (climed) onto a ship

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SAMIUN ISLAM
 Heading towards- moving towards

Windiest- having the maximum wind

Continent- a large mass of land surrounded by sea

Time Zones- 24 areas of the world, each has its own time

Check points- places on the boarders where officials check people and vehicles

Landmass - large area of land

Giant- huge

Supercontinent- greater (more) than a continent

Flora - vegetation

Fauna- birds and animals

Thrived- prospered

Shields- protective plates

Depletion- reduction in the quantity of

Ice floes- ice floating in sea

Icecap- permanent covering of ice

1. JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH

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

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2. Reaching home, she wondered whether Antarctica would ever be warm again, how much difference a million years can make and,
that each day makes a difference.

NCERT Questions (Think as you read)

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

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

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

Q.2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students on Ice Expedition?
• Ans: A visit to Antarctica makes it quite clear and there one can see the ice shelves melting. ‘Students on Ice’ is
a programme headed by Canadian Geoff Green. He aims at organizing this programme by taking high school students to the ends
of the world. He thinks it most essential to provide the students with inspiring educational opportunities to know more about the
Antarctica. Through this they will generate a new understanding and respect for our planet. Earlier Geoff Green had
organized programme with celebrities and richpeople which gave him back only in a limited way. Since the students are young
minds and full of adventurous activities they can learn, act and absorb much by visiting the Antarctica. They can see through their
own eyes glaciers retreating and ice-shelves collapsing. They can realize the future dangers, catastrophic effect of climatic
changes and the global warming. The Antarctica provides the young students a perfect place to study the varied changes occurring
in the environment. These little changes can have significant consequences. The students can see those grasses of the sea that
flourish, nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. Thus theprogramme provides a lively study of changes and
the realities going on the Antarctica.
•
Q3. ‘Take care of small things and big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the context
of the Antarctica’s Environment ?
• Ans : Antarctica has a simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity ,it is the best
place to study how little changes in the environment can have big consequences.

The author gives the example of very small single celled plants calledphytoplankton which nourish and sustain the entire southern
ocean‘s food chain. The phytoplankton uses the energy to absorb carbon and also synthesize various organic compounds through
photosynthesis. Scientists have forewarned that if Ozone layer depletes any further it will have a direct impact on the activities of
the phytoplankton this will lead to a chain reaction adversely affecting the lives of marine animals and birds of the region which
will further result in the disturbance global carbon cycle .

So, it is expected of man to pay special attention to tiny forms of animal and plant life and prevent the depletion of ozone layer by
reducing carbon dioxide emissions.If we take care of small things big things will automatically fall into place

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 Q4. Why is Antarctica a place to go to ,to understand Earth’s present ,past and future?
Ans. Antarctica is a place to go to ,to understand Earth’s present ,past and future.

Six hundred and fifty million years ago , the present day Antarctica was surrounded by a giant amalgamated Southern
supercontinent called Gondwana. Thus Antarctica belongs to ancient geological era when human beings had not yet evolved ,the
climate was warm in the continent and supported a huge variety of flora and fauna. Later ,the dinosaurs were wiped out and
mammals began to evolve . At this juncture Gondwana got separated into countries.So to visit Antarctica is now to be a part of
that history.It is to understand the significance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields; ozone and carbon; evolution
and extinction. (past)

Since the planet is unravaged by human population and civilization ,it remains relatively pristine. Its ice cores hold more than half
–million-year old carbon records which are useful for the study of past ,present and future of our planet.

We can realize the threat of global warming by seeing glaciars melting and ice shelves collapsing. (present)

Antarctica is the best place to study how little changes in the environment can have big repercussions. Phytoplanktons nourish and
sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. Further depletion in the ozone layer would affect the lives of all the marine
animals and birds of the region and the global carbon cycle. It could also lead to the end of the world. In this way it suggests
future possibilities about our planet. (future)

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SHORT QUESTIONS

Q1.What was the Akademik Shokalsky? Where was it headed and why?
1. (Akademik Shokalsky was a Russian Research vessel.It was heading
towards the coldest, driest windiest continent in the World ,Antarctica
They were heading to be part of ‘Students on ice Programme’)
Q2.How does the author describe the Antarctica?
Q3.How did the Antartica amaze the writer when he first saw it?
( relief followed by immediate and profound wonder at Antarctica’s immensity and isolation)
Q4 How is present day Antarctica different from GONDWANA? (p 19 ,1stpara)
Q5 Why does Tishani Doshi call her two week stay in Antarctica ‘a chilling prospect’?
(For the author who was accustomed to live in a warm climate ,staying for 2 weeks in a place where 90% of earth’s total
volume are stored is a chilling prospect. Coldness of the region not only restrains her circulatory and metabolic functions but also
her imagination.
Q6.Why does one lose all earthly perspective on reaching Antarctica?
(-its like walking into a giant ping pong ball
-devoid of any human markers-no trees , billboards and buildings
-visual scale ranges from microscopic to macroscopic)
Q7 What sort of brightness and silence prevail in Antarctica during summer?(p-20 ,1st para)
Q8."And for humans, the prognosis is not good". Explain the situation & observation.
(The span of 12000 years of human existence is quite insignificant in comparison to earth's history-but man has created ruckus-
by concretizing to nature, burning fossil fuels-that ascertain & bleak future)
Q9 How long have the human civilizations been around? How has it affected the earth and its resources? (p-20 ,2nd para)
Q7.How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change?
(Because it has no population, but more importantly its holds in its ice-cores half million-year old Carbon record)
Q8 What was the objective of the ‘Student on Ice Programme’ ? (p-21 ,1stpara)
Q9 What are the reasons behind the programme’s success? (p-21 ,2nd para)
Q10 How does Antarctica differ from the earth?
(Antarctica-has never supported human existance-24 hrs australlight makes one lose entire earthly sense-the visual scale
ranges from microscopic to the mighty-a different phenomenon-no trees, no bill boards , no buildings)
Q11 What experience did the author have near the Antarctica circle?
Q.12 What is Gondwana?
• Six-fifty million years ago, a super continent existed present day Antarctica called Gondwana.
• Gondwana thrived for 500 million years. As mammals replace the dinosaurs the landmass separated into countries.

LONG QUESTIONS
Q1 Describe the author’s journey to the end of the Earth ?
Ans The Author was part of the ‘Student on Ice programme’ which made her head to Antarctica .To go there she boarded the
Russian research vessel –Akademik Shokalsky and headed towards Antarctica .Crossed nine time zones ,six checkpoints, three
water bodies and many ecospheres .

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 She was with a group of teenagers on ‘Student on Ice ‘ programme, whose aim was to develop new understanding and respect for
the planet They closely saw glaciers retreating and ice shelves collapsing and began to realize that the threat of global warming
was very real. Most enjoyable
experience of the author was walking on the ocean with a metre-thick ice underneath and 180 metres of living ,breathing salt
water below the ice

Q2 Describe the impact of Antarctica on the writer.

• It was an amazing, alluring and mind boggling experience.
• Amazed to see the wide stretch of sea under the blue horizon. It was a place which has the history of mankind embedded deep into
the layers of the ice.
• The sight of collapsing ice shields, breaking of ice-bergs and melting of ice was an eye opener.
• It made the author and his team aware of the dangers the future times are having in their folds.
Q3 What are phytoplanktons? How are they important to our ecosystem?

Q4. What is the significance of the title` Journey to the End of the Earth’.
The title, ‘Journey to the End of the Earth,’ has more than one meaning. It describes an educational journey to Antarctica
undertaken by groups of high school students to learn more about the real impact of Global Warming and the future of the
earth. 52 students went to the coldest, driest, windiest continent in the world called Antartica in a Russian research vessel, the
Akademik Shokalskiy.
The author calls it a journey to the end of the earth because it began 13.09 deg North of Equator in Madras, involved crossing nine
time zones, six checkpoints, three oceans and three ecospheres. She travelled over 100 hours in combination of a car, an aeroplane
and a ship. The journey, being to the extreme south of the earth, is really towards the end of it. Another meaning of this title is
more significant as the warnings that Antarctica gives are shocking and much concerning the humanity and the millions of other
species on the earth. The changes taking place in Antarctica are pointing a warning finger at the existence of the earth; the earth is
journeying to its end!
Q5 “A lot can happen in a million years but what a difference a day makes”. Discuss with reference to the lesson.
Q6. By whom and with what objective was the “Students on Ice” Programme started? How far has it achieved its goals?

POETS AN PANCAKES

Key Points
• The Make-up Department

– The make-up room was like hair cutting salon with bright lights and mirrors

– headed by a Bengali first, later by Maharashtrian, helped by an Andhdraite, a Madras

Christian and Anglo-Burmese and a local Tamil

– Example of national integration

– Hierarchy was followed

– Chief actors and actresses

– Assistant the second hero

– The office day of the crowd

• The Office Boy

– was in early forties

– did make up of the crowd

– Joined to become an actor, or a screenwriter, director or lyric writer, was a bit poet.

– Hopes shattered, seemed frustrated

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• Inside the Gemini Studios

– Duty of the writer to cut out newspaper clipping

– everyone thought him as free

– office boy expressed his anger against Subbu, the No. 2 at the studios.

• Subbu

– Kothamangalam Subbu – No. 2 at Gemini Studios

– always accompanied the boss

– was in story department

– story department had lawyer, writers and poets

– was cheerful and loyal

– habit of being nice

– was charitable

– could suggest many ways of filming a scene

– was a poet, an amazing actor

– had many enemies, office boy being the main.

• The Lawyer

– was in story department

– was not very popular

– recorded outbursts of an actress and played the recording

– she left acting after this

– he dressed in pant, coat and tie differently than others

– story deptt was closed and he lost the job

• Gemini Studios – The Favourite Meeting Place of Poets

– Mr. Vasan the boss, was editor of Tamil weekly – Ananda Vikatan

– Main prominent poets visited studio

– They wore khadi, were against communism 1952 Frank Buchman’s moral Re-Armament

army visited studio

– Tamil plays copied their sets for years

– Hosting two hundred people of twenty nationalities was great change

• Visit of the English Poet

– A tall Englishman, a poet visited the studios

– The boss welcome the poet

– The poet had English accent, he spoke without being understood

– Years after retirement, Asokamitran saw a pile of books, with a book titled the God that

failed.

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SAMIUN ISLAM
– It was collection of essays by six eminent writers

– The name of the editor was Stephen Spender

– The same poet who had visited the studio

– It cleared the mystery of Spender’s visit to the studios

NCERT Questions (Think as you read)

Q 1 What does the writer mean by the fiery misery of those subjected to make-up?

The ‘fiery misery’ of those in the makeup room suggests the discomfort caused by incandescent lights fitted at all angles. All of
them when lit emitted so much heat and light that it was torturous for those who were subjected to make up.

Q.2.What is the example of national integration that the author refers to in the Gemini Studios?

Ans: In the studio the people from different regions and religions working together presented a glimpse of national integration.
The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. He was assisted by a Kannadiga
from Dharwar and Andhra, Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a
great deal of national integration in the makeup room of the Gemini Studios

Q3. What work did the ‘Office Boy’ do in the Gemini Studio?

ANS.It was the duty of the ‘office boy’ to do the make up of the crowd players at Gemini studio. He mixed his paint in a big
container and slapped it on the crowd players.

Q4 Why was the office boy frustrated?

Ans. The office boy had joined Gemini Studios in the hope of becoming a star actor, a top screenwriter, a director or a lyricist. He
was frustrated as his dreams remained unfulfilled as he remained merely an office boy.

Q5 Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at Gemini Studios?

Ans. The author appeared to be doing nothing as his job was to gather relevant newspaper clippings. Throughout the day he could
be seen tearing up newspapers sitting at his desk. This made others feel that he had very little to do.

Q6 Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?

The legal advisor recorded the tirade of a temperamental actress bringing her career to an end. That’s why he was referred to as
the opposite by others.

Q7 What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?

(While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform — khadi dhoti

with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt — the legal adviser wore

pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often he looked alone and

helpless — a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers — a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites

and khadiites.)

Q8Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?

Most of the people at Gemini Studios were followers of Gandhiji and wore khadi. Beyond that they did not have any particular
political affiliations. However, they were all against communism.

Q9 Why was the Moral Re-Armament army welcomed at the

Gemini Studios? (Poets and Pancakes)

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 Q10.Name one example to show that Gemini studio was influenced by plays staged by MRA.

Q11. What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studio?

ANS.The people at Gemini Studios could not understand what the Englishman was saying. His accent was also different. It was
very strange thing that an English poet was addressing the audience who were making Tamil films. This caused a lack of
communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios.

Q12 Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?

None of the employees of the studio knew the identity of the visitor and his purpose of visiting the studio.Even the speech of the
poet was beyond comprehension. They did not know what an English poet was doing in a film studio which made Tamil films for
simplest sort of people who had no taste for English poetry.

Q13How did the author discover who the English poet was?

Ans. The author wanted to participate in a short story contest organized by a British periodical named ‘The Encounter’. Being
unfamiliar with the periodical he went to the British Council Library to find out about the same and discovered that the editor was
none other than Stephen Spender

Q14..What does ‘The God That Failed’ refer to?

A. ‘The God That Failed’ is a book of six essays by six eminent men of letters that describe their journey to communism and
disillusioned return. Stephen Spender was one of the authors.

NCERT Questions (Understanding the text)

Ans1. Author has used gentle and subtle humour to point out human foibles and idiosyncrasies.

• Exposes Robert Clive’s ambitions and his restless nature

• Office boy’s boasting and bragging about his talent is brought out
• Legal adviser is known as the opposite
• -use of pancake –ostensibly to cover the pores
• Team of make up artists is referred to as ‘gang of nationally integrated make up men ‘ who could turn any decent looking person
into a hideous crimson hued monster
• -Strict hierarchy.
• Commenting on Subbu’s exposure to affluent situations ,he ridicules his virtue- the virtue of being a Brahmin.His inefficiency is
pointed out subtly with a comment “he always had work for somebody” . The rapidity with which Subbu offered his Boss
alternatives when he got stuck up is very amusing.
• pokes fun at the ignorance of all the people . did not know who was Stephen Spenders and why did he arrive

Q2Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios?

.Kothamangalam Subbu was considered as No. 2 in Gemini Studio because he was next in a position to the Boss. Apart from the
fact that he was a Brahmin ,which was considered a head start by many ,he was a many sided genius. He had a creative mind as he
could provide various alternatives as how a scene could be emoted. He was tailor made for films and had a separate identity as a
poet. He was also an amazing actor. His sense of loyalty made him identify with the principal. For all these virtues he stood apart
from others and enjoyed a higher rank.

Ans 3.There is incongruity of the English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studio as he talked about thrills and travails of
an English poet in front of Tamil knowing audience who hardly had any taste for English poetry. So the audience could not
understand what he was talking about . Moreover his English accent was incomprehensible.

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 Ans 4 The author’s job at Gemini Studio was to cut and file paper clippings. Although he performed an insignificant task , he was
the most well informed of all the members of the Studio. His literary interest is evident from the fact that he participated in a story
writing competition organized by the periodical ‘Encounter’ and he purchased the books to read even when he was short of
money.

EXTRA QUESTIONS (SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS)

Q1 Through the mention of Robert Clive, how does the narrator bring out the extravaganza of those in power?

Ans: 1. The make up department of Gemini studio was in a building that was believed to have been Rober Clive’s stable. So the
place which was worth to become a studio had been misused by the Britishers. Extravaganza of the Britishers has also been
brought out when the author mentions that Robert Clive used to own several buildings

Q2. Describe the make-up room of the Gemini Studios as described by the author.

Ans. It looked like a hair cutting salon, with incandescent lights that made the room very hot, placed at all angles around half a
dozen mirrors. It was so hot that the ones whose make-up was done there were subjected to ‘fiery misery’

Q3 A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up department . Explain.

Ans. It was so as each make-up man was allotted his task according to his designation. The chief make-up man attended the
chief actors and actresses, his senior assistant the second hero and heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian, the
office boy the actors who played the crowd and so forth.

Q4 why did the office boy come to the author? Why was the author praying for crowd shooting?

Since the author was wrongly believed to have no work to do , the office boy often came to his cubicle to give went to his
frustration and impress upon him that a great talent remained untapped and was being wasted. Since the author was bored with the
office –boy’s never ending babble , he prayed for crowd shooting so that the boy would be busy in painting the crowd and would
not pester him.

Q5 What advantage did the office boy think Subbu had?

d) Subbu, in no way was superior to the office boy in talent or education. It was by the dint of his birth in a Brahmin family that he
got a lead over him. His ‘birth” helped him get better openings, opportunities and exposure. Thus he had an edge over the office
boy.

Q6 Who was Subbu’s enemy? Why?

• office boy
• convinced that all his woes, ignominy and neglect were due to Subbu / who only by virtue of being born a Brahmin had exposure
to more affluent situations and people
Q7. Subbu was charitable and improvident, yet he had enemies. Why?

Ans. Subbu’s good qualities were overlooked as his desire to please the boss, the key to his success, made him seem like a
sycophant. His non critical attitude was misconstrued as cleverness. So he had enemies, as the office boy, who blamed him for
their failures

Q8 How did the lawyer lose his job ? p-62 ,1st para)

Q9.What role did the canteen play at the Gemini studio? (p-62 ,2nd para)

Q10 What was the opinion of the khadi clad poets of Gemini Studios about Communism?

Ans. They were against Communism as that was the prevailing political notion in South India. A Communist to them was a
Godless man, had no filial or conjugal love, could unhesitatingly kill his parents or children and was always out to cause and
spread violence and unrest.

Q11 What shows that the boss knew very little about the poet who was visiting Gemini studio?(p-64 , 1stseven lines)

Q12Why was the English poet who visited the Gemini Studios as baffled as his audience?

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 Ans. The poet Stephen Spender was baffled, as he could comprehend that his audience was unable to understand him. The
audience was also baffled as the poet’s accent defeated comprehension and they had no idea as to why the English poet had been
invited to address an audience that had nothing to do with English poetry.

Q13. Why did Stephen Spender visit Gemini Studios?

Ans. Stephen Spender was an anti Communist like the people at Gemini Studios. He had been invited to talk about his journey
into Communism and his disillusioned return

Q14.The boss of Gemini studio had nothing to do with Spender’s poetry but not with his 'God that failed`. Bring out the
significance of this line?

LONG QUESTIONS:

Q1 Describe the Moral Re-Armament Army’s visit to Gemini Studios?

• Frank Buchman’s MRA comprising of two hundred members visited Chennai in 1952.
• MRA- counter movement to Communism
• People thought it was an international circus
• Two plays ‘The Forgotten Factor’ and ‘Jotham Valley’ ran several shows in Madras
• Good sets and costumes
• Tamil drama community was extremely impressed
• For some years almost all Tamil plays had a scene of sunrise and sunset as in ‘Jotham Valley’-bare stage, white background
curtain and a tune played on the flute.

Q2 Analyse the character of Kothamangalam Subbu.

• Many sided genius

• Didn’t have much formal education but had learnt from his exposure to prosperous people
• Sense of loyalty made him to identify completely with his boss. Turned all his creativity to his boss’s advantage.
• Had a solution for any problem encountered by Mr. Vasan.
• Gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios
• A poet capable of writing complex poems but chose deliberately to address the masses
• Composed several truly original story poems in folk refrain and diction
• Wrote a sprawling novel- Thilana Mohanambal with dozens of deftly etched characters-recreated manner of Devdasis of the early
20th century
• Powerful actor- never aspired for lead roles- better in subsidiary roles than lead actors

Q3. Asokamitran has used humor and satire effectively in Poets and Pancakes.

Discuss

Author uses gentle human and mild satire.

• He has a chatty style which quickly changes from one thought to the other.

• Makes fun of the make-up applied to the artists which changes a decent person into

a monster.

• Sets required the actors to look ugly so that they look presentable in the movie.

• Characters of the office boy, Subbu No. 2 and the legal adviser has many subtle

touches of humor.

• Purpose of the visits of Moral Re-Armament Army and the English Poet baffles

everyone.

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 • Baffled reaction of the staff Gemini studio arouses humor.

• Satire is also directed towards people who are against communism and would do

anything to oppose it

Q.4. What does Asokamitran’s lesson ‘Poet and Pancakes’ deal with?

Ans: The author, Asokamitran recounts his years spent at the Gemini studios. Gemini Studios was set up in the year 1940 in
Chennai and grew into one of the most influential film producing organizations of India in the early years of the Indian film
making industry. The studios of film production has never confined its activities within the four walls of the studios but it also
gives a fine glimpse of outside world as well.

The production department has two prominent divisions – the make up department and the story department. In the make up room
there had a team of workers from chief make-up man to the office boy who stopped the crowd players with lotions and pancakes.
Pancakes were used by the actors and actress. Pancake was the popular brand name there. There was a strict hierarchy of make up
man.

The story department had its significant contribution. There was a legal advisor duly accompanied with an assembly of poets and
writers. They were engaged in creating story, songs, social and other work. In those days, it was mainly indoor shooting. The Boss
had a strict vigil at every aspect. He was assisted by Kothamanglam Subbu, who was an indispensable person for the studios.
Beside this, the Gemini Studios had become the favourite haunt of the poet and other visitors because of its decent mess that
served coffee till the late at night. The studios hosted the visit of Moral Re-Armament Army and a poet-cum-editor Stephen
Spender. The MRA was a counter movement to international communism but the people at the studios were averse in this
ideology. The visit of Spender also became an unexplained mystery for all.

THE INTERVIEW by Christopher Sylvester

GIST OF THE LESSON

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.
• V.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’.
• H.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.

• 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.
• 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.

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SAMIUN ISLAM
NCERT QUESTIONS (Think as you read)

Q1. List some of the positive views on interviews.

ANS.Interviews have many positive aspects. It is an art and a source of truth. It is a serviceable medium of communication. We
can get information about our contemporaries through interview

Q2 Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?

( it is an unwarranted intrusion into their lives.

• feel that the interview diminishes them.)

Q3. What is the belief in some of the primitive culture about being

Photographed?

(Some primitive cultures believe that it is like stealing someone’s soul)

Q4. What do you understand by the expression’ thumbprints on his windpipe’?

ANS. Saul Bellow has described interview as being ‘thumbprints on his windpipe’. If somebody presses our throat, our windpipe
is choked and we cannot breathe properly. Similarly, he felt choked and suffocated during the interviews

NCERT QUESTIONS (understanding the text)

Q1.Do you think that Umberto Eco likes being interviewed ?Give reason s for

your opinion

After analyzing the interview extract we see that Umberto Eco does not get perturbed while being interviewed .He is
comfortable ,confident and at ease when he is being interviewed. He readily furnishes answers to the questions asked.
Moreover he elaborates on everything, volunteering more information than is required..

He candidly discusses his philosophical and academic interests, his fictional and non-fictional styles of writing and why he
considers himself a University Professor He also shares with the interviewer his secret of time management and how he
utilizes the empty spaces in his life which he called interstices and how he managed to write such staggeringly large amount
of literature. He honestly discusses the trials and errors he faced during his first Doctoral dissertation. He gives details about
his novel “The Name of The Rose” in a systematic and methodical way .He was candid enough to admit that it was a mystery
why the novel was successful. His tone is friendly and at no point does he seem to wind up the interview.

Keeping all these factors in mind we can conclude that Umberto Eco does not consider interviewing a crime or an offence
rather it is a way of getting a clearer picture of the celebrity.

Q2. What was distinctive about Eco ‘s academic writing style ?

A Umberto Eco is a professor at Bologna University who has a staggeringly large and wide ranging amount of written output to
his credit. Eco has philosophical interests which he pursues through his academic works and novels. Even the books he writes for
children are about non-violence and peace, here again his philosophical and ethical interests surface. His scholarly and non-
fictional writing have a certain playful and personal quality to it .It is a marked deviation from his regular academic style which is
depersonalized and often dry and boring. He believed that scholarly books should always be written by telling the story of the
research which is why his essays always had a narrative style

Q3. Did Umberto Eco consider himself as a novelist first or an academic scholar?

Eco considers himself as an academic scholar first as he prefers identifying himself with the academic community .He participates
in academic conferences but not in the meetings of pen Clubs and writers. Before he turned to writing fiction he had a formidable
reputation as a scholar for his ideas on semiotics (study of signs), literary interpretations and medieval history. Though he is happy
at the overwhelming response and the tremendous success he got for his novel “The Name of the Rose “he still prefers to be a

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SAMIUN ISLAM
Professor at Bologna University who writes novels on Sundays .He started writing Novels by accident. One day when he had
nothing to do he started writing one, it was probably to satisfy his taste for narration

Q4. What is the reason for the huge success of the novel “The Name of the rose”?

*it is a detective yarn

*delves into metaphysics, theology, medieval history.

*written at the right time.

* reason of success is mystery

EXTRA QUESTIONS (SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS)

Q.1.In what way have the interviews become a common place of journalism?

Ans: Over the last 130 years, the interviews have become a commonplace of journalism. Almost everybody will have read an
interview at some point during their life time. Several thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the years. It is a great
serviceable medium of communication. The interviewer holds position of unprecedented power and influence

Q2 What drawbacks of interviews have been pointed out by Lewis Carrol?

Q3. How does Rudyard Kipling condemn an Interview?

ANS.According to Rudyard Kipling interview is immoral. It is a crime. It is just like an attack on somebody. Hence, it is
punishable. He adds that it is a cowardly and unpleasant act. No respectable man should ask anybody to give interview.

Q4 What was odd about Rudyard Kipling interviewing Mark Twain?

(-considers as crime , immoral

-still interviewed Mark Twain)

Q5 In what way does the interviewer hold a position of unprecedented power and influence over the person interviewed?

Q6 How ,when and why did Eco start writing novels ?

Q7 Why was Umberto Eco’s writer friend Roland Bathers frustrated ?

(was always frustrated that he was an essayist and not a novelist. He wanted to do creative writing one day or another but he died
before he could do so.)

Q.8. What is the secret of Umberto Eco’s working style?

Ans: Eco says there are empty spaces in the lives of us all. He calls these empty spaces as ‘interstices or intervals. He explains his
style of working in empty spaces through an example. He tells when he waits for somebody coming from the elevator from first to
the third floor, he won’t sit idle. He utilises these intervals for his creative work.

Q9. What do you think were the distinguishing features of his novel ‘The Name of the Rose’?

A . It is a serious novel .Though it has a detective yarn on one level ,it also

delves deep into metaphysics ,theology and medieval history .

Q. 10 Why, according to Umberto Eco, were the journalists puzzled at the popularity of the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’?

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SAMIUN ISLAM
 ANS.According to Umberto Eco the journalists were puzzled because journalists believed that people liked the writings of poor
quality. They thought that difficult reading experiences were not liked by people. But they were wrong. The novel was liked by
millions of people even if it had difficult experiences.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1 What impression do you form about Umberto Eco as a scholar and

writer on the basis of “The Interview.”?

Long Answer type Questions :

1. “I can’t understand how a man can do all the things he does.” Discuss this statement with reference to Umberto Eco.
2. Highlight the importance of interview; its drawbacks, positive aspects and reactions of celebrity writers based on the The
Interview.

Poets and Pancakes – Asokamitran

• January 10, 2017

• 0 Comments
•
Post Views: 1,422

Gemini Studios

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

Questions & Answers

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

Office Boy was a grown up man in the Makeup Department of the GS. He was in charge of the crowd makeup. He applied
pancake on their faces with the help of a dipped paint brush. Though his job was quite an easy one, the office boy considered him
to be a greatly skilled artist.

Questions & Answers

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SAMIUN ISLAM
1. Who was the office boy? What was his duty in the make-up department? How did he appreciate himself and his
profession?
The office boy was a forty year old man who worked at the lowest rank among the makeup artists at the Gemini Studios. His duty
was to apply makeup for the crowd-players for shooting. As his work required no skill and that he was not satisfied with his
designation and the kind of work, the ‘Boy’ remained unsatisfied and criticized everyone he was jealous.
Asokamitran

Asokamitran was one of the staff whose job was to collect information such as news events from newspapers and magazines and
to paste them in files. The other staff considered his job out of place and most of them thought so high of themselves. Here are
some of the interesting staffs of GS.

Questions & Answers

1. How was the author’s job odd in the eyes of the other staff? How did they respond to this?
Asokamitran’s job at the Gemini Studios was to collect information from newspapers and magazines and to paste the cuttings in
files for reference. This was probably the only work odd in the Gemini Studios while every other staff was some sort of an artist.
They therefore advised the author to do some better jobs other than wasting his time cutting papers in a department similar to a
barber shop.
2. Why did the author pray for crowd shooting?
Like many of the other staff who believed that Asokamitran was doing next to nothing in the Gemini Studios the Office Boy too
used to advise him for hours. When the author was tired of his unending epics, he used to pray for a crowd shooting to which the
Office Boy assigned.
Kothamangalam Subbu

Kothamangalam Subbu was another clerk. He was not as educated, as fortunate and as supported by as the Office Boy, yet he
reached the top of the GS. He was a man of amazing genius. He was able to direct the directors. He suggested dozens of ways to
shoot a certain scene when the director failed to find one. He acted better than the heroes. He wrote incredible poems. Though he
was able to write more complicated ones that could raise him to the status of a great poet, Subbu preferred writing them in simple
Tamil to enlighten the majority of Tamil people. Besides, he supported his far and near relatives. But he had only enemies
everywhere because he was very much close to the boss, Vaasan.

Questions & Answers

1. Who was Kothamangalam Subbu? How did he make all the other staff hate him?
Kothamangalam Subbu joined the Gemini Studios as a clerk and remained the same in the records. But in practice he soon
acquired the status of the No.2 at the studios thanks to his amazing genius and multifaceted skills. He did any work for his boss
and ignored the rest above him. This made him envied and hated by the rest of the staff.
2. Discuss Subbu’s identity as a poet. Why was he not known as a poet?
Apart from being an amazing director of movies, Subbu had the identity as a poet. The world of his time and later never
recognized Subbu as a poet yet he was a great unknown poet. He wrote poem in the simplest Tamil language and was able to
recreate the classical poems in his own style.
3. Subbu excelled as an actor too. Discuss.
Subbu was a good actor. He was able to act better than the lead actors yet never wished to take any lead roles in any movie.
4. In spite of all the good qualities and readiness to be a host any time, Subbu had only enemies. Why?
Subbu was good to everyone he came by, spoke in his niceness, fed his relatives, excelled everyone in the Gemini Studios but was
hated by most of them just because he was so close to the boss of the studios. Being a clerk in the attendance register he was
above all and above all the departments. Those who bore designations above Subbu felt it intolerable to obey him.
Legal Advisor

The legal advisor worked in the Story Department. He was a lawyer and provided legal advices to the writers yet he was known as
the illegal advisor. The following incident is one reason that gave him that name. Once a shooting was under progress. The
heroine, a highly emotional girl, got angry with the director and producer. While the whole set stood stunned at this, the legal
advisor recorded her voice without her permission and made her listen to the playback, thus resulting the end of a rising actress.

Questions & Answers

1. How did the legal advisor behave illegally in the instance of the actress.
The legal advisor was, of course, an advocate, yet was known as an illegal advisor. Once he recorded the voice of an actress who
shouted at the producer and director while in the shooting sets. The legal advisor’s behavior turned out to be illegal because he did
it without the actress’ permission.
2. In what context did Congress rule mean Prohibition and how was it for the staff of Gemini Studios meeting over a cup of
coffee a rather satisfying entertainment?

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 Congress being the ruling party, made the public’s life horrible by imposing curfew and emergency in the initial years of
Independent India. Citizens were not allowed to gather and hold meetings. While the whole of the nations struggled under
emergencies, the six hundred Gemini staff enjoyed freedom inside the studios as their freedom was not restricted.
3. How did Subbu surpass the office boy despite his limitations?
The office boy in the makeup department was always ahead of Subbu in the beginning, especially in education, having influential
people to support. But he ended up where he began while Subbu ascended the steps to the maximum height and surpassed the
Boy.
4. The staff of the Gemini Studios attributed Subbu’s success to his being a Brahmin. Why?
Most of the staff of the Gemini studios was unhappy with Subbu. His amazing influence on the Boss and the consequent
privileges he enjoyed made them feel jealous of him. So, instead of accepting his talents, they consoled themselves by attributing
his fortunes to be a Brahmin.
Poets and writers

Gemini Studios had some great poets like Harindranath Chatopadhyaya and a few others. Most of the insignificant poets
considered so great of themselves. They had no great talent, no great creativity, no political views yet they assumed the airs of the
greatest poets, wasting Vaasan’s money and time. They believed Gandhiji to be the last word of politics and had developed an
aversion to Communism.

Questions & Answers

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

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

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

Questions & Answers

1. What is Communism? What ideas about the communism gathered popularity in India?
Communism is a political order that believes in the equality of citizens and abolition of private ownership. The state or nation is
the owner and caretaker of each citizen. Citizen’s welfare is nation’s prime concern. It sometimes resorts to armed revolution to
establish social and political equality.
2. What was MRA? Why did it tour the world?
MRA, short for Moral Rearmament Army was an anti-Communist organization that toured the world informing the world of the
evil side of Communism that was spreading throughout Asia and some parts of Europe. Headed by Frank Buchman, the MRA
believed that Communism was evil and it would wipe out democracy in the world.
3. How did the MRA spread its anti-Communist ideas in South India?
Moral Rearmament Army believed that Communism was evil and therefore wanted to wipe it out of the world. This group of 200
men and women from twenty different nations spread anti communist messages with the help of their stage performances such as
dramas.
4. How was Vasan played into the hands of the MRA?
There is no clear indication that Vasan, the owner of the Gemini Studios, was a Communist or not yet there are very clear hints
that he was a prominent Communist of Chennai. The MRA spread its anti-Communist messages through their stage programs and
made the poets and writers of the South India hate Communism which was a great achievement. Vasan, who knew nothing of
their intentions, was indeed fooled by MRA at his cost.

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 Stephen Spender

Anyway, Stephen Spender, who was once a prominent communist editor and poet from England, came to the studio and gave his
speech. His lecture was about Communism on one side and about his struggles to establish as a poet on the other. Whatever he
spoke was great, hot, exciting and inspiring, but what use, his accent was such terrible one that none of the Gemini staff could
clearly understand what Spender had spoken. They fell into shame for not being able to understand the poet and wished not to
meet him again.

Questions & Answers

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

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

• Vasan as a Communist: If so, Vasan felt terribly bad for being played into the hands of the MRA that left a deep anticommunist
impression upon his staff. He therefore decided to bring back the Communist atmosphere in his studio and for this he invited a
communist poet to deliver a speech on how great Communism was.
• Vasan as an anticommunist: If SS Vasan was an anticommunist, he was the one who invited the MRA to the Gemini Studios.
Later, when he saw that MRA had successfully spread anticommunism among his staff, he wanted to strengthen the new notions
in them by inviting another anticommunist and therefore he invited Spender.
Questions & Answers
1. The Boss of the Gemini Studios may not have much to do with Spender’s poetry. But not with his god that failed.’ Explain.
Stephen Spender was invited to the Gemini Studios to enlighten the staff with great ideals of Communism but what Spender spoke
was about his thrills and struggles to establish himself as a poet. The bosses of the studio like S. S. Vasan were interested in
Spender as a Communist, not as a poet.
2. How did MRA impress the staff of Gemini Studios and the Tamil drama community?
Asokamitran’s meeting Spender

The lesson ends with two incidents in which Asokamitran, our author, met Spender; not face to face, but in two different ways.
While attempting to send his short story to England to participate in a contest, Asokamitran happened to read The Encounter, a
magazine that had Stephen Spender as its editor. On another occasion he happened to read the book, the God that Failed, an article
of which was written by Spender.

Questions & Answers

1. How did the magazine ‘The Encounter’ become important in Asokamitran’s life?
The Encounter was a British Communist magazine. When Stephen Spender was its editor, this magazine organized a short story
competition for writers from all over the world.
2. How does the book, ‘The God That Failed’ deserve its title? OR Justify the title, ‘The God That Failed.’
The ‘God That Failed’ was written by six eminent writers who were attracted to Communism and abandoned it because they hated
it later on. Communism was in its beginning, a God because it stood for equality and removal of class systems and poverty. While
the Gods or incarnations before it achieved their goals, Communism failed in attaining its goals as it was a failure in itself.

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3. What made Asokamitran hope Stephen Spender too would be singing the same song at the same time when he sealed the
envelop of his manuscript?
Asokamitran had been struggling to establish as a writer when he came across the magazine, The Encounter. When he saw that the
editor of The Encounter was Stephen Spender, the same poet who came to Gemini Studios and talked about his struggles to
become a poet, Asokamitran felt as if he had found a long lost brother.
4. ‘In a moment I felt a dark chamber of my mind lit up by a hazy illumination.’ What was the dark chamber? What did
light up the darkness?
Due to Spender’s British accent the normally educated staff like could not understand his speech and therefore his speech
remained an unsolved mystery for the staff including Asokamitran. This mystery was the dark chamber of his mind. When
Asokamitran saw that Spender was the editor of The Encounter, he understood that Spender’s speech was all about stories and
poems and suddenly he related this to his speech he made years ago the Gemini Studios.
5. Taking a careful reading, one sees the tremendous struggle that Asokamitran underwent to surface as a writer par
excellence. Discuss.
For Asokamitran training himself as a writer was passion. He had a nickname, barber, when he was working at Gemini Studios
because he did a lot of cutting newspaper clips and magazine as he was a news record keeper. Even though he was laughed at by
the rest of the staff and was advised by some to seek a profession that fitted him, Asokamitran had a drudge that nothing could
weaken – he was determined to rise in the world of people of his kind: writers.Among those members of the Gemini staff who was
embarrassed and confused at Stephen Spender’s lost speech was there none as embarrassed and confused as Asokamitran. It was
all because of his literary ambitions that he was able to know more about Spender and his literary traits and political views as well
as the unknown communist inclinations of the boss of one of India’s foremost movie factories. Asokamitran’s language that we
read in the extract, Poets and Pancakes, is amazing as an India author is concerned and there is no doubt that he acquired it as part
of his quest for perfection as a writer. He quite poignantly narrates his participating in a short story contest organized by the
Encounter for which he spent considerable time and money. On reading the name of the editor, Stephen Spender, he feels like
getting his lost brother back.
Terms to Remember

Gemini Studios – S.S Vasan – Pancake – Asokamitran – Barber – Office Boy – Crowd makeup – Legal Adviser – “Illegal
Adviser” – Actress – Temperamental – Tirade on Producer – Kothamangalam Subbu – Thillana Mohanambal – MRA – Moral
Rearmament Army – Frank Buchman – 200 artists – “Jotham Valley” Forgotten Factor” Stephen Spender – Speech – A speech
that failed – The Encounter – “The God that Failed” (Andre Gide, Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone – Arthur Koestler – Louis
Fischer – Stephen Spender)

Evans Tries an O-Level Summary Class 12th English

Characters
1. James Roderick Evans: a prisoner
2. Secretary of the Examination Board: a higher official of the examination board
3. Governor: the governor of H.M. Prison, Oxford.
4. Mr. Jackson: a prison officer
5. Mr. Stephens: a prison officer
6. Reverend Stuart McLeery: an invigilator
7. Mr. Carter: a detective superintendent
8. Mr. Bell: a detective chief inspector
Theme
This story depicts a clash of wit between a criminal and the law enforcing authorities in which the prisoner Evans befools the jail
authorities and manages to escape from the prison. If the government and law enforcing officials are vigilant, crime can be
detected and criminals can be booked. But criminals like Evans can hoodwink the authorities and escape punishment as long as
the officials are slow and lack alertness and wit. More Summary It is the month of early March. The secretary of the Examination
Board receives a call from the Governor of the H.M. Prison, Oxford. He tells that a prisoner named Evans has started night classes
in O Level German. Now he wants to attain some academic qualification. The Secretary replies that there is no need to worry. All
the necessary forms and other requisite material will be sent. They will give him a chance. He enquires about Evans. The
Governor tells him that Evans has no record of violence. Rather he is an amusing fellow. He is one of the stars at the Christmas
concert. The Secretary asks him if they can arrange a room where Evans can sit in for the examination. The Governor tells that the
room of Evans can be used for this purpose. The Secretary agrees and tells that they could get a parson from St. Mary Mags to
invigilate. The Governor takes utmost care to see that he would not be fooled. Every care was taken to make Evans prepare for the
exam. He was tutored by a German teacher for 6 months. The day before the exam the teacher wishes good luck but makes it clear
that he had hardly any ‘chance of getting through.’ But Evans gives an ironical twist to the tutor’s observation by saying “I may
surprise everybody.” On the day of the exam Jackson and Stephens visited Evan’s cell and took away everything that may help

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SAMIUN ISLAM
 him injure himself. Evans was insisted to take away the hat but he refused saying that it was lucky charm. Evan’s cell was bugged
so that the Governor could himself listen to each and every conversation in the cell. The invigilator Rev. S. Mc Leery too was
searched and left him invigilator Rev. S. Mc Leery too was searched and left him to complete the task. Stephen sitting outside the
cell every now and then peeped into the cell. The exam went on smoothly. Stephen escorted the invigilator to the main gate and
looked into Evan’s cell and found the invigilator (actually Evans) wounded, informed the Governor. The latter was to be
hospitalized but informed that he was alright and asked them to follow Evans. Thus he escaped the prison. When the invigilator
was not found in the hospital they went to the residence of Rev. S. Mc Leery only to find him ’bound and gagged in his study in
Broad Street”. He has been there, since 8.15 a.m. Now everything was clear to the Governor. Evan escaped the prison the fourth
time. But by taking the hint from the question paper the Governor reached the hotel where Evans was staying. He captured him
and came to know how he planned his escape. The Governor said that his game was over. Evans surrendered himself to the
Governor. Evans was handcuffed and sent away with a prison officer in the prison van. But here again he befools the Governor.
Both the prison officer and the prison van were part of the plan devised by Evan’s friends.

Once again he was a free bird.

GIST OF THE LESSON

• Evans a kleptomaniac was imprisoned thrice and all the time escaped from the prison. Now he was in the prison for the 4th time
and all of a sudden developed curiosity to appear in O-level German Examination which also was an effort to break the prison.
• The Governor takes utmost care to see that he would not be fooled. Every care was taken to make Evans prepare for the exam.
• He was tutored by a German tutor for 6 months. The day before the exam the tutor wishes good luck but makes it clear that he had
hardly any ‘chance of getting through.’ But Evans gives an ironical twist to the tutor’s observation by saying “I may surprise
everybody.”
• On the day of the exam Jackson and Stephens visited Evans cell and took away everything that may help him injure himself.
Evans was insisted to take away the hat but he refused saying that it was lucky charm.
• Evans cell was bugged so that the Governor could himself listen to each and every conversation in the cell. The invigilator Rev. S.
McLeery too was searched and left him to complete the task. Stephen sitting outside the cell every now and then peeped into the
cell.
• The exam went on smoothly. Stephen escorted the invigilator to the main gate and took a look into Evans cell and found the
invigilator (actually Evans) wounded, informed the Governor. The latter was to be hospitalized but informed that he was alright
and asked them to follow Evans. Thus he escaped the prison.
• When the invigilator was not found in the hospital they went to the residence of Rev. S. McLeery only to find him ’bound and
gagged in his study in Broad Street”. He has been there, since 8.15 a.m. Now everything was clear to the Governor.
• Evan escaped the prison the 4th time. But by taking the hint from the question paper the Governor reached the hotel where Evans
was and captured him and came to know how he planned his escape and said that his game was over. Evans surrenders himself to
the Governor.
• The Governor tells Evan they would meet soon.
• The moment they are rid of the Governor, the so called prison officer-a friend of Evansunlocks the handcuffs and asks the driver
to move fast and Evans tells him to turn to Newbury.

English (Core) 12th Board Exams

1.
2.
FEB
28

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SAMIUN ISLAM
 Evan's Tries an O-Level.

EVANS TRIES AN O LEVEL

Evans tries an O-Level

– James Roderick Evans – a prisoner
– earlier escaped thrice from the prison
– therefore titled ‘Evans the Break’
– started night classes in O-Level German
– Govt. arranged to examine Evans for O-Level in his prison cell
– On the exam day he was given time to smarten up
– Unshaven and having a filthy looking hat
– refused to remove the cap that’s lucky
• Examination Arrangements
– removal of razors and nail scissors
– set tables opposite each other and placed two hard chairs in the cell
– deputed Stephens on D-Wing and newly recruited to visit Evans’ prison
– invigilator Mc Leery left his house at 8:45 am as the exam was to begin at 9:15 am.
– Mc Lerry came, having a brown suitcase, semi-inflated rubber ring, needed for haemorrhoids?
• The Exam Begins
– asked Evans to write index No., centre No, 313 and 271
– at 9:40 a.m. Mc Leery asked for correction slip
– Evans hardly understood anything, kept his pen between lips and staring towards the door
– at 10:15 Evans requested for a blanket
– The exam got over at 11:20
– Hearing the Governor’s order at 11:22 a.m. accompanied McLeery to the prison gate
– Stephens obeyed the orders
– On the way asked Mcleery about Evans
– McLeery’s answer made him feel, his broader Scots accent, to be slimmer due to long black overcoat.
• Evans Escapes
– After seeing McLeery off, wanted to go for coffee, must take one last look at Evans
– he saw McLeery sprawled in Evan’s chair slipping the blanket and blood dripping through
the beard.
– instead of calling ambulance McLeery low moaned and asked for police to call
– he knew where Evans was
– opened the German Q. Paper and found a photocopied sheet carefully and cleverly superimposed over the last page of Q. Paper
– Instructions and the plan written in German as Make your way to Neugraben
– Governor was furious, not made any call to see off McLeery at the prison gate
– Governor wanted to know about the false beard, spectacles and other things
– Later the Governor was puzzled Mcleery was not in the hospital
– The ambulance sent to Elsfield to pick, Mc Leery but just vanished
– After a quarter and half an hour they found McLeery bound and gagged
– Now they understood it was not Evans impersonating as McLeery who had walked out but it was Evans, impersonating Mc
Leery who stayed in
• Final Escape
– reached his hotel at Golden Lion
– very happy for his successful plan
– able to hide his closely cropped hair due to lucky hat
– as he reached the reception, found the receptionist not the same girl
– collected the keys, asked for early morning call at 6.45 am.
– as entered the room, shocked to see the Governor sitting on the narrow bed
– finally spoke that was the correction slip which he left behind, given the clue about
– Index No. 313, Centre No. 271 the six figures 313271 got him there
– Governor wanted to know where the blood came from, answered that was pig’s blood in ring
– told about his German friend, helped him
– winked at the receptionist and get back
– Handcuffed and clambered into the back seat of prison van, As he turned right, unlocked hand cuffs and asked to drive fast
– on the driver’s query, suggested Newbury

SHORT QUESTIONS

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SAMIUN ISLAM
Q.1. Why do people doubt Evans’s sincerity towards taking the ‘O’ Level examination?
Ans: Evans was a very cunning, experienced and intelligent and careful run away prisoner. He had escaped from the prison
many times so he was called “Evans the Break”. Now he was preparing and appearing for ‘O’ Level examination in the jail
premises. So people were doubtful about Evans’ sincerity for taking the examination.
Q2. What was the unusual request received from the Oxford prison by the secretary of the examination?
Ans. The Governor informed the secretary that a prisoner named Evans wanted to appear for O-level German examination as
hewas keen to get some sort of academic qualification. The governor wanted the board to make arrangements for conducting the
examination in the Oxford jail

Q3.How is Evans not a typical criminal?

( not violent, pleasant person ,One of the stars at Christmas concert, congenital Kleptomaniac, not harmful.)

Q4 What kind of a person was Evans?

Ans. Evans was just a congenial kleptomaniac. He became popular for his talent of mimicry at the Christmas concert at the
Oxford jail. He didn’t have any violent streak in him. He was also knownas ‘Evans the Break’ because he had escaped from
the jail thrice.

Q5.Which facts about Evans did the Governor of Prison not reveal to the Secretary of Examination Board?

The fact that he has escaped from the jail thrice is not revealed by the Governor of Prison to the Secretary of Examination Board.

Q6. Do you think Evans’ statement, ‘I may surprise everybody,” has some special significance?

Evans seems to be telling his teacher that he may surprise everybody by doing well in the exam, but in reality it is aforewarning
that he is going to jolt everybody by his master-minded perfect escape-plan

Q7. What made Evans clip his hair short?

Evans’ escape prison-- duplicate McLeery (invigilator during the O-level German exam) had short hair. In order to give a practical
shape to their plan, Evans’ hair had to look like McLeery’s, hence Evans clipped them short.

Q8 Do you think Evans was conscious of his appearance ?

No, Evans had long hair , wore grubby string vest , filthy looking , red and white bobble hat upon his head.

Q9 How did Evans convince Jackson to allow him to wear his hat?
He convinced Jackson to allow him to wear his hat by telling him that it was his lucky charm and brought the only thing which
ever brought him luck. Considering he had an exam today he pleaded him to let him wear it.

Q10 Why did Evans not take off his hat when Jackson ordered him to do so?

Q11. Why was it impossible for Evans to escape from the jail?

Ans. Evans was locked in a cell. During the examination all the prison officers were on the alert. There were two more locked
doors between his cell and the prison yard. The yard’s walls were as high as a haystack.

Q12 Why did the Governor instruct Jackson to search McLeery?

The Governor asked Jackson to search McLeery, the invigilator, just in case he has brought something unwittingly which might
prove to be a weapon that Evans could use and try escaping from prison.

Q13 How was Reverend Stuart Mcleery dressed when he came to the jail to invigilate? What did Mcleery carry with him?

Reverend Stuart McLeery had along black overcoat and a shallow-crowned clerical hat on. The hat protected him from the
steady drizzle which had set half an hour ago. He was wearing speactacles with thick lenses on which the water from the drizzle

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SAMIUN ISLAM
spattered. In his right hand he was carrying a small brown suitacase, which contained all that he would need for his morning
duties, including a sealed question paper, a yellow invigilation form, a special “authentication” card from the Examination
Board, a paper knife, a Bible (he was to speak to the Women’s Guild that afternoon on the Book of Ruth) and a current
copy of the The Church Times.

Q14. Which object in Mcleery’s suitcase puzzled Jackson?

Ans. Jackson checked Mcleery’s suitcase and found a smallish semi-inflated rubber ring that puzzled him and he asked Mcleery
whether he intended to go for a swim.

Q15 How does the coyness of Evans help the governor remove the guards from the room?

Evans started cribbing about the fact that how he will do his paper with someone standing right on his head and breathing
down his neck. He cribbed that it isimpossible to concentrate that way and thus the governor felt that probably he was overdoing
things.

Q16 How did the Governor react to the two phone calls he received in quick succession?

( – suspected that calls might be fake, some signal / some secret message /
to check, dialed, exam board but heard bleeps of line which showed the line was engaged)

Q17 .Why did Evans drape a blanket round his shoulder? What did Stephens think about it?

In between intervals of Stephens’ peeping into the cell, Evans was changing into the Parson’s dress to look like McLeery. So, in
order to conceal his effort to keep them in place, Evans draped a blanket round his shoulder. Stephens was misled into believing
that Evans was feeling cold.

Q18. What had actually happened to the real Mcleery?

Ans. The real Mcleery was attacked by two cronies of Evans in his study at 8.15 am at Broad Street. He was securely bound and
gagged and they took away the documents that were needed to conduct the German examination in the Oxford jail.

Q19 In spite of strict vigilance, how did Evans’ friend manage to give the material for disguise in the cell?

Despite all vigilance, Evans’ friend disguised as McLeery, the invigilator, managed to smuggle the disguised material into the
cell. He came wearing two parson’s dresses with black fronts and collars. Apart from it he also brought an extra pair of spectacles.
All this was passed on to Evans when Stephens’ vigilant eyes were away from the peep-hole.

Q20Did Stephens observe something different, as he walked besides McLeery to the main gates?

McLeery’s Scots accent seem broader than ever and his long black overcoat reached almost to his knees, it fostered the illusion
that he had suddenly grown slimmer.

Q.21 what clues did the answer sheet of Evans provide to Governor? Why did Evans leave the question paper with German
written on it in the cell?

Evans left clues like Index No.313and Centre No.271 to trap Governor. The Governor made out the six unit reference which led
him to Golden Lion where he met Evans. He left the Question paper in the cell so that he could misdirect the Governor with the
instructions written at the page which was stuck in the end.

Q22 How did Evans manage to get blood inside the cell and how was its clotting prevented?

Evans managed to get the blood inside the cell via the invigilator in his rubber ring for piles. It was filled with pig-blood from a
slaughter house in Kidlington but to prevent clotting it was mixed with human blood and one tenth of the volume of 3.8 per cent
trisodium citrate.

Q.23How did Evans mange his final escape?

Ans: He was almost rearrested by the Governor in the hotel. He washandcuffed and made to sit in a prison van. But the people
sitting inside the van were the close friends of Evans. They opened his handcuff on Evans’ instructions. They took the van towards
Newsbury and Evans had his final escape. Thus Evans outwitted the Governor by dodging him at every step.

Collected and Compiled By

SAMIUN ISLAM
LONG QUESTIONS

Q.2.Reflecting on the story, what did you feel about Evans having the last laugh?
Ans: Having the last laugh means to be successful and making the opponent stupid. Here the phrase finds a suitable place in
the story. We can see that the Governorinitiates all precautionary measures for the smooth conduct of the examination and
ensure that Evans won’t escape. He arranges for a microphone in the cell of Evans and appoints two Senior Police Officers for
his vigil. And in spite of all his toil, Evans has the last laugh. His cell is thoroughly searched and it is reported that nothing is hidden
there. Still Evans is able to hide a false beard, a pair of spectacles, a dog collar and some sort of weapon that has hurt McLerry.Further
McLeery is found securely bound and gagged in his study. It becomes clear that Evans has been impersonating McLerry who had
stayed in. Even after his arrest at a hotel The Golden Lion, the Governor could not bring him back to the cell. He had some g ood
friends who helped his escape. In examination and police department he had close friends who arranged things for him. With his
intelligence and the help of his friends, Evans was able to have the last laugh in the story.

Q1. When Stephens comes back to the cell he jumps he jumps to a conclusion and the whole machinery blindly goes by his
assumption without even checking the identity of the injured ‘Mcleery’? Does this show how hasty conjectures can prevent
one from seeing the obvious? How is the criminal able to predict such negligence?
Ans. Evans was a smart and perceptive criminal. He hadassessed the weaknesses of the jail officers successfully. Stephen was
new recruit to the prison set up. When he saw the injured Mcleery in the cell he was sooverwhelmed that he did not even check
who he really was and neither did anyone else. It did not occur to anyone to question how there could there be two persons –
one in the cell and the other who had been escorted out by Stephens. It was for this very reason that friends of Evans, who,
posing as the Governor on the phone, have directed Stephens that he himself should escort the parson out, when the exam is
finished. The Governor and his officers, in effect actually lead Evans out of the prison. The question paper is left behind to
mislead the Governor. This shows that Evans the criminal had enough time to study the behavior patterns of the jail
officers and plan their strategy well.

Q2. What could the Governor have done to securely bring back Evans to prison when he caught him at the Golden Lion?
Does that final act of foolishness really prove that ‘he was just another good for-a-giggle, gullible governor, that was all’?
Ans. The Governor took all the precautions to make sure that Evans should not have any chance to escape from the prison. He
even tracked and arrested him at the Golden Lion after his sensational escape from the prison. But hisoverconfidence once again
proved that he was no match for the clever and crafty Evans.
The Governor after finding the clues from the question paper tracked Evans at the Golden Lion. When Evans entered the room he
was shocked to see the Governor. Evans offered no resistance and was arrested. The gullible Governor gloated over his success
and said goodbye to him. Evans was handcuffed and made to sit in the police van. The Governor did not take care to check the
identity of the driver, the van and the officer. A little more vigilance could have averted the escape of the criminal. If
the Governor had accompanied Evans to the prison cell with full police arrangements the criminal would not have
escaped. This act of negligence proved that he was “just another good-for-a-giggle gullible governor that was all”.

Q3 How did the question paper and the correction slip help the prisoner and the governor?

Q4 What were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of the examination with reference to the lesson Evan tries an
O-Level?

Since Evans had already escaped from the jail on three earlier occasions, there was always a lurking fear that he might make
another attempt to escape. Therefore all possible precautions were taken to see that the O-level German examination arranged in
the prison did not provide him with any means of escape.

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SAMIUN ISLAM
The Governor personally monitored all security arrangements and heavily guarded the Recreation Block from where he
expected the prisoner to make another break. Evans cell was thoroughly checked by Jackson to ward off the possibility of
the presence of an incriminating material which might hamper the smooth conduct of the examination. His nail-scissors,
nail-file and razor were taken away; and to keep a strict watch on the activities of the cell during the examination, the
Governor got it bugged.
A police officer, Stephens was posted to keep a constant vigil on his activities. The invigilator too was frisked to make sure
that he carried no objectionable material with him. But in spite of all these elaborate preparation Evans
escaped.

Q5 Describe how the German ‘O’ Level exam was conducted?

Exam was scheduled tocommence at 9:15a.m. – but started at 9:25 a.m. – A person Mr. McLeery was arranged to invigilate –
calm prevailed but many lapses were noticed – At 9:40 Examination room was informed of the correction (where venue was
fixed) on page three. At 10:50 a.m. Evans demanded for blanket – at 11:20 the wrong bell was rung – At 11:22 a.m. the hoax
call instructed Stephan to escort McLeery – At 11:25 a.m. the exam was over.

Q6In spite of his hyper vigilant attitude, the Governor unwittingly helped Evans to escape prison. Explain.

Hints :The governor made plenty of tactical mistakes, e.g, from not checking the antecedents of the German tutor to the prison to
the soft corner he has for him to the wrong judgment of allowing Evans to escape in the guise of the Invigilator to the final one of
not taking enough force to nab him at the hotel. (Find out the other shortcomings)

Q7 Draw a pen picture of James Roderick Evans.

Ans.: “Evans the Break” as he was known among the prison officers was a jail bird. He was a congenital kleptomaniac,
but was not violent by nature. He was quite a pleasant sort of a person, amusing and good at imitations. When he is
introduced to the reader, he is unshaven with long wavy hair. He wore a filthy looking red and white bobble hat and had
tucked a grubby string vest into equally grubby trousers. He appears to be quite cheerful with the prison officers. Evans
is smart and resourceful. He makes a request to Mr. Jackson to allow him to put on his bobble hat. But he complains to
the invigilator that Stephen’s presence disturbs his concentration. He makes a polite request to cover himself with a
blanket as it is chilly. He uses it to put on the clerical collar and black front. He employs the brief absence of the prison
officers to disguise himself as McLeery, the parson and spill blood on him to look injured. He acts the part of the injured
parson well. He offers to help the police and wins their confidence by acting groggy in need of an ambulance. Evans enjoys
the faith, support and active cooperation of his accomplices. They plan carefully, working out the minute details to carry
out his escape plan skilfully.
Q8 Give an account of the blunders committed by the prison authorities which helped Evans in escaping from the prison
(10 Marks)

Prison authorities made many blunders. It was only because of these mistakes that Evans could escape from the prison. The
hatching of the escape plan started with the German tutor’s entry. The German teacher who had been coming to take Evans’
classes was Evan’s accomplice.Everyone assumed that he was a teacher from the technical college. The invigilator’s identify
was also not verified.
On the day of the examination,Jackson’s did not ask Evans to remove his ‘bobble-hat’, which was a grave blunder. If
Stephens had not shifted from the cell, the escape would not have been possible. Jackson should have searched McLeery
thoroughly andseen the rubber ring closely.
The prison staff blindly believed that the injured was the invigilator,though it was Evans playing a trick on them. When Evans
was arrested, the Governor was complacent and sent him in a prison van, leaving Evans in the hands of his own accomplices. In
this way Evans

Q9Justify the title “Evans tries an O` level”

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SAMIUN ISLAM