e Little Match Girl

Pasage -1
i. What was special about the particular evening in the story? What kind of
weather was there in the evening?
i) It was New Year’s Eve and weather was bitterly cold. Snow was falling and
darkness was gathering.
ii. The girl had slippers on, but they were of no use. Why?
ii) The slippers that the girl was wearing belonged to her dead mother. They were
too big for her and hence were of no use.
iii. How can you conclude from the story that the girl was poor and dejected?

iii) The girl was dejected and poor in very sense because she was bare feet and
was sent out on a cold night to sell matches, which was another form of begging
at that time. No one bought matches from her so she was unable to earn a single
penny. She was shiviring and hungry.
iv. Why was the girl out in the cold? What prevented her from going back
home?
iv) Girl was out in the cold to earn some money. The girl did not dare to go home
as she was unable to earn a single penny. Her father would surely beat her if she
returned empty hand; moreover it was so cold at home because there was nothing
but a roof above them.

v. How appropriate is the title of the story?

v) The appropiation of the title of the story is judged by how well it reflects the
content of the story. [This line can be used for any chapter’s answer]. The title ‘Little
Match Girl’ is quite apt as it revolves around a little girl who sells matches. She had
not given a name as she represents one of Th many poor children belonging to
lower class in Victorian Era, who had to face hardship because of poverty.

Passage – 2
i. Who is referred to as little maiden in the extract? How did she lose her
shoes?

i) ‘The Little Match Girl’ or the protangist of the story is referred to ‘little maiden’ in
the extract. She lost her slippers when she was escaping from two carriages that
were running very fast. One could not be found and other was taken by a boy.
ii. Why was the girl carrying matches with her?
ii) The little girl is trying to sell matches to earn. It was another form of begging in
the Victorian Era.

iii. What does the author describe the girl as a very picture of sorrow?
iii) The girl has been described as 'a very picture of sorrow' because every aspect
of her has a sorrow to explain.
• The child is poor and motherless.

• She does not get any affection form her father but is sent out in the biting cold to
sell matches.

• The child spends her entire night by huddling herself against a wall.

• She dies of cold, hunger and abuse.

iv. What tells you that the girl was not only trembling with cold but also with
hunger?
iv) Her hallucination reflects the need and desire of a poor, hungry child. In her
second vision, she saw a feast laid on a table. This vision addresses how hungry
the small girl was , and if she did not freeze, she would surely had died of starvation.
v. Explain how the story is interspersed with didactic elements..

v) A didactic story is the one which is intended to teach people a moral lesson..The
story is meant to teach, especially the wealthy, to show empathy for those, who do
not have the basic necessities of life. It reminds them not to overlook the needs of
the less fortunate, especially the innocent children. It teaches them to be charitable
and help the poor during the festivals and throughout the year, to alleviate their
suffering.The purpose of this story is very meaningful because it is an issue that is
not only limited to those times but relevant to today
Passage – 3
i. Where was the girl sitting? How did she try to warm her fingers?
i) The girl huddled down in a heap in a corner formed by two houses, one of which
projected further out into the street than the other. Her thin hands were almost
numb with cold which she tried to warm up by lighting match sticks.
ii. When did the girl feel as if she were sitting before a large iron stove? Why
did she feel this way?
ii) It was a hallucination which depicted the girl’s longing for warmth as well as love
of her family.
iii. Explain what kind of relationship the girl shared with her father.

iii) The girl had an affectionless relation with her father. Her father was ruthless who
sent her out to earn money in such cold. She was a victim of child abuse and was
not fed and clothed properly.She was scared to go home for the fear of being
beaten by her father. The warmth of love which she should have got from her father
was substituted by her lighting matches.

iv. With reference to the story bring out the theme of class differentiation.
iv) During the Victorian Era, the middle class emerged and took over an important
percentage of work places. It is at this time, there appeared an under class, which
remained unemployed and lived in abject poverty. This class resented both the
aristocracy and the middle class. There existed a huge gap between the financial
condition of this class and the wealthy.
v. The children in Victorian society were not only orphaned but also
deserted, neglected and abused. Give evidence from the story to prove this
statement.
The children were regarded as miniature adults who were used for cheap labour.
In this story, the child is poor and motherless. She does not get any affection or
love form her father but is sent out in the biting cold to sell matches. She became
a victim of child labour and of physical abuse at the hands of her father.

Passage-4.
i. What happened when the girl lit the first match?
i) When she lit the first match, she had a vision of a large iron stove and felt its
warmth and safety which she longed for. It reminded her of the love and affection
which she got from her grandmother.

ii. What did the girl see in the window when she lit the second match?
ii) When the girl lit the second matchstick she saw a roast goose stuffed with apple
and dried plums, which hopped down from the dish and came up to her, seeing the
goose come to her symbolises her hunger pangs.
iii. Explain how the girl’s visions are symbolic of her undying hope.

iii) The little small and poor girl, who is suffering from cold and hunger and apathy
of the people around her imagined about certain things which she desperately
longed for and which made her feet better, including an iron stove, a huge
Christmas rree and a table laden with delicious food. The girl imagines her
deceased grandmother's face just because, she had faith and hope.

iv. What does the light from the matches symbolise in the story?
iv) The light from the matches symbolise the light of God and hope. They are
symbolic of the warmth which the little girl was longing for.
v. Explain why the girl lighted the whole bundle of matches at the end?
v) When the little girl lit the match stick for the third time she saw her old
grandmother. She was delighted to see her and said her to take her along. She did
not want her to vanish. As the rest of her visions had vanished so she lit up the
entire bundle of matches to keep her grandmother in visibility.

Passage-5.
i. Which girl is referred to in the extract? Why does she have a rosy cheeks
and a smiling mouth?
i) The little match girl who died of cold and hunger is referred to here. Her cheeks
had turned rosy because of extreme cold. Moreover she has a smiling mouth
because her wish to be with her loving grandmother comes true through her death.
Her smile indicates that the girl is relieved of her pain through divine redemption.
ii. What is referred to as “beautiful things” in the extract above? How does
the girl encounter these “beautiful things”?

ii) Her vision of an iron stove, a sumptuous feast, a twinkling Christmas tree and
her late grandmother are referred to as beautiful things. It is by lighting the matches
that she gets to encounter these beautiful things.
iii. What kind of relationship existed between the girl and her deceased
grandmother?

iii) The Iittle girl's grandmother was dead but was the only person, whom she
remembered fondly. She has been described as the only one who loved the little
girl.It seems that the little girl used to hear stories from her grandmother as she
remembered her grandmother's view about the stars falling from the sky. The
memory of her grandmother's helped her keep warm while others ignored her.

iv) How does the extract bring out the hope for a better life after death?
The girl pleaded with her grandmother to take her to heaven and both of them flew
in brightness and in joy to be with God. The girl’s smiling face after her death thus
symbolizes a better afterlife.
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